IN SHORT: Social media posts claim Hassan offered to host a proposed and highly controversial US-linked Ebola quarantine facility if Kenya declined. But there is no evidence she ever made such a statement.
Posts circulating on Facebook and TikTok in early June 2026 all make the same claim: that Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan offered to host a controversial US Ebola quarantine facility in Tanzania if Kenya chose not to.
Some of the posts shared a Kiswahili quote attributed to Hassan, while others used graphics styled as news reports with the headline "Bring Ebola Centre to Tanzania, We can Host It ~ Samia Suluhu".
Together, the posts attracted thousands of views, comments and shares.
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Controversy over proposed facility in Kenya
The claim surfaced amid major controversy over a proposed US-backed Ebola facility at the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, Kenya. In late May, reports emerged that the US and Kenyan governments had agreed to establish a 50-bed facility at the base to quarantine US citizens who may have been exposed to a major outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
The plan triggered strong opposition in Kenya from residents, politicians and activists, who raised concerns about public health risks, transparency and the lack of public participation. Protests erupted, particularly in Nanyuki, leading to at least three deaths.
Kenya's high court suspended the project pending a legal challenge. Flight-tracking data and local reports indicate that construction has continued, with US military flights delivering equipment and personnel to the airbase.
The Bundibugyo strain has drawn global concern because it has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making its regional spread unpredictable.
It is in this context that the posts began circulating in June, claiming that Tanzania had offered to host the facility if Kenya was unwilling to do so. But is that true? We checked.
No evidence Suluhu made such a statement
We found no evidence that Hassan or her government made the statement attributed to her in the viral posts.
Searches of official Tanzanian government communications, the president's social media accounts and credible media found no record of such an offer.
Nor was the claim reported by any reputable media outlet in Tanzania, Kenya or internationally as expected given the facility that had already become the subject of controversy.
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The posts themselves also provide no evidence. Most originated from social media accounts that are not recognised news organisations. The graphics simply pair Suluhu's image with the alleged quote, without citing a speech, interview, press briefing or official statement. This lack of detail is often the hallmark of fabricated misinformation.
There is no evidence that Hassan offered to host the proposed Ebola facility in Tanzania if Kenya declined to do so.
