Kenyans protest proposed US Ebola quarantine facility

Fresh protests broke out on Tuesday in Nanyuki, central Kenya, over a proposed United States-funded Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, highlighting growing public opposition to a project that has become the subject of legal and political disputes.

Police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators as residents blocked roads and demanded the suspension of construction on the planned 50-bed facility. Local media reported heavy security deployments and largely deserted streets in parts of the town.

The Kenyan government approved the project — which is intended to accommodate US citizens exposed to Ebola — and construction has continued despite a Kenyan court order temporarily barring further work, drawing criticism from residents and local leaders.

Opponents argued that the facility would expose Kenya to unnecessary health risks and accused the US of shifting responsibility for managing people potentially exposed to the virus. Protests last week reportedly resulted in fatalities, although the government did not confirm this.

The controversy comes amid heightened concern over the Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in May. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist for the Bundibugyo strain.

WHO reported on Monday that as of June 6, a total of 515 cases were confirmed with 91 deaths from the DRC, while Uganda reported 19 confirmed cases including two deaths. In total, 534 confirmed cases including 93 deaths have been reported from both countries, while at least 17 people have recovered from the disease.

Kenyan authorities have defended the project as part of broader efforts to strengthen disease preparedness and response capacity.

However, the Laikipia County government has formally opposed the facility by filing a petition, citing concerns over public health, economic impacts on the county's tourism sector, and the proximity of the proposed site to schools operating within the air base.

The matter remains before the Kenya High Court, which last week extended conservatory orders suspending the proposed facility and directed the government to disclose the details of its agreement with the US, including biosafety assessments, regulatory approvals, and operational protocols.