Nairobi, June 4 -- In recent weeks, Kenya has found itself at the centre of a heated national debate. The bilateral agreement between President William Ruto and US President Donald Trump to establish specialised Ebola care and research facilities in Kenya has triggered an avalanche of public anxiety, scepticism, and political rhetoric.

However, this controversy is not a crisis of public safety, but a public perception issue. To navigate this moment, we must strike a delicate balance between our national and public interests.

Our national interest will look to our long-term strategic, economic, and geopolitical positioning while public interest will greatly be concerned with demands for the immediate health, safety, and reassurance of ou...