Ebola has never been seen in these parts. Not a single case. And yet, on the slopes of Mount Kenya, amongst the rhinos of Ol Pejeta, the exclusive lodges of Laikipia County and the tracks leading towards Samburu, there are already those cancelling their holidays. Not because of the disease itself, but because of the isolation centre that the US and the Kenyan government are setting up in Nanyuki for any American citizens exposed to the virus in neighbouring countries. A subtle difference, but one that risks being devastating for tourism.
When a tourist destination becomes associated with the word Ebola, clarifications are of little use. One can explain that there are no cases of the disease in Kenya, that the centre is intended to house only people under observation, and that everything is taking place under medical supervision. But in the meantime, bookings are being cancelled and tour operators’ phones are ringing less and less.

The protests that have erupted in Laikipia County against the controversial US-funded isolation and quarantine centre are having the effect that many tour operators feared from the outset: the first travellers are cancelling their bookings.
The concern is not so much the facility itself – which, according to the Kenyan government and US authorities, is intended to accommodate only US citizens potentially exposed to Ebola during humanitarian operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda – but rather the damage to the reputation that the affair is causing to one of the country’s most prestigious destinations.
Nanyuki and the entire region are, in fact, one of the gateways to Mount Kenya and the large private conservancies that have made Kenyan nature tourism famous worldwide. From Ol Pejeta to Borana, right up to the tracks leading towards Samburu, there is a concentration of tourist attractions that in recent years have drawn visitors from Europe, America and Asia.
Industry operators report that several bookings have already been cancelled and that many potential visitors are seeking clarification or postponing their travel decisions. The problem is not health-related but psychological: in the perception of many international travellers, the mere association between a destination and the word ‘Ebola’ is enough to prompt them to seek alternative destinations.
The situation is being exacerbated by images of the protests that have been circulating around the world for days. Following the initial demonstrations, tensions have escalated into clashes between protesters and the police. The death toll from the violence has risen to at least three, whilst dozens of people have been arrested and the police have used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the crowds.
For tourism operators, the risk is that Laikipia will be perceived as a ‘critical area’, regardless of the facts on the ground. And the reality, at least for now, is that no cases of Ebola have been recorded in Kenya. The outbreak that prompted Washington to set up the facility is in fact centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, to a lesser extent, Uganda.
But tourism also thrives on perceptions. And when the words “Ebola”, “quarantine”, “protests” and “Kenya” appear simultaneously in the international news, few stop to read the explanations through to the end.
So, whilst President William Ruto’s government continues to defend the project as a gesture of international cooperation and a strictly controlled health measure, operators in Laikipia are looking ahead to the coming weeks with growing concern. Because a facility that is supposed to prevent a health emergency is already in danger of causing another emergency – an economic one. And in a land that thrives on safaris, lodges and wide open spaces, fear can prove just as contagious as any virus and more dangerous than any predator.