Speaking after a consultative meeting with Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) aspirants from Meru County, Gachagua urged residents to reject the project, claiming it posed a serious threat to communities living in the Mt Kenya region.
He alleged that the facility, which is reportedly linked to a partnership between Kenya and the United States, could endanger the lives of local residents.
According to Gachagua, the planned facility is more than a health project and should be viewed with suspicion.
He argued that residents of Meru and Laikipia had every reason to oppose its establishment, claiming it could have devastating consequences for the region.
His remarks, however, triggered an immediate backlash online. Many Kenyans questioned the logic behind his claims, asking how a virus could identify and target people based on their ethnicity.
Social media users flooded comment sections with sarcastic and critical responses, with some joking that Ebola would need to "recognise tribes" before carrying out such a mission.
Others pointed out that Laikipia is home to people from different ethnic communities and is not exclusively inhabited by residents from the Mt Kenya region. Critics argued that the comments risked spreading fear and misinformation about a public health issue.
While a section of Kenyans dismissed the claims as far-fetched, a few maintained that questions surrounding the location and purpose of the proposed facility deserve public discussion.
The controversy has once again placed Gachagua at the centre of national political debate as reactions continue to pour in from across the country.
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