Did  President Samia Suluhu Say  Tanzania Is Ready To Host an Ebola Centre?

By: Rebecca Odhiambo

This TikTok post published on June 2, 2026, claims that Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan called on the international community to “bring an Ebola centre to Tanzania,” saying the country was ready to host it. The claim is accompanied by a photograph of the president speaking at a public event. 

The account that shared the post, kenyafinest, describes itself as a trusted source for daily news and entertainment. The account has 122k followers, suggesting that the claim had the potential to reach a wide audience and influence public opinion.

Background

The claim emerged amid public debate in Kenya over a proposed Ebola quarantine and research facility at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in Laikipia County.

The proposal emerged in late May 2026 after the United States announced plans to establish a 50-bed quarantine and observation centre at Laikipia Air Base for American citizens who might be exposed to Ebola while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a major outbreak was ongoing. The proposal was part of a broader U.S.-Kenya health partnership aimed at strengthening regional preparedness against infectious diseases.

President  William Ruto later revealed that he approved the project after the U.S. President Donald Trump requested Kenya’s support in hosting the facility. Ruto said the decision was based on the long-standing health partnership between Kenya and the United States, noting that the U.S. had supported Kenya’s health sector for decades, including HIV/AIDS programmes, Ebola preparedness and medical research through KEMRI.

The announcement, however, sparked widespread opposition from sections of the public, political leaders and civil society groups, who questioned why Kenya was hosting the facility. The matter was taken to court, where the High Court suspended the project. The government subsequently halted all construction and related activities pending the determination of the case.

Against this backdrop, the TikTok post by kenyafinest claimed that Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said that if Kenyans did not want the Ebola centre in Laikipia, Tanzania was ready to host it. The post included the Swahili caption: “Kama majirani hawataki kituo cha Karantini cha Ebola kule Laikipia, basi tuletewe sisi tunaweza,” which translates to: “If our neighbours do not want the Ebola quarantine centre in Laikipia, then let it be brought to us; we can host it.”

Verification

To verify the claim, Piga Firimbi reviewed official communications published by the Office of the President of Tanzania, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Communications for any speech, statement, or press release in which President Samia Suluhu Hassan invited the international community to establish an Ebola centre in Tanzania and found no evidence that she ever made such a statement.

A review of reports from reputable Tanzanian, regional and international news organisations covering President Suluhu’s public engagements and speeches showed none had reported her calling for an Ebola centre to be established in Tanzania or expressing willingness for the country to host one.

We further examined publications by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international health agencies regarding Tanzania’s Ebola preparedness and response. While Tanzania has worked closely with regional and international partners on surveillance, screening at border points, laboratory capacity and emergency preparedness, there is no record of the government requesting to host an Ebola centre or of President Suluhu making the statement attributed to her. 

While her administration has on several occasions addressed Ebola and other viral disease outbreaks, the president’s public remarks have focused on strengthening disease surveillance, border preparedness, and regional cooperation to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. In January 2025, during the announcement of the Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania, she reaffirmed the country’s commitment to containing the disease in collaboration with health authorities.

The image used in the TikTok post also provides no supporting evidence. It does not identify the date, location or event where the alleged remarks were made, nor does it reference a speech, interview, official transcript or credible news report. Public statements by a sitting president on an issue of international public health would ordinarily be documented through official government channels and widely reported by credible media. The absence of any such record strongly indicates that the quotation has been falsely attributed to President Suluhu.

Verdict

The claim that President Samia Suluhu said Tanzania is ready to host an Ebola centre is FALSE.