NAIROBI — Kenyan protesters clashed with police near a U.S.-funded Ebola quarantine facility in central Kenya this week, as opposition continued to a project intended to house Americans exposed to the virus during an outbreak in neighboring countries, according to witnesses, police and court records.
Police fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse demonstrators in the town of Nanyuki near Laikipia Air Base, where the United States has been constructing a quarantine center despite ongoing legal challenges, Reuters reported. Protesters accuse the United States of transferring Ebola-related risks to Kenya, while Kenyan and U.S. officials have defended the project as part of a public health response.
The proposed facility, backed by the U.S. government, would provide about 50 beds for asymptomatic American citizens exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda, according to officials familiar with the project. Kenya has not reported Ebola cases linked to the current regional outbreak.
The latest confrontation followed earlier unrest in which at least two people were reported killed during protests in Nanyuki on June 1. Reuters reported that the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain disputed. Police said one teenager died after being struck by a tear-gas canister, while relatives and some witnesses alleged that security forces used live ammunition. Reuters journalists saw a body with a severe head wound but did not witness the incident itself.
“People are angry because they feel the risks are being brought here,” one protest organizer told Reuters during earlier demonstrations. Protesters have carried placards opposing the project and demanded greater transparency regarding agreements between Nairobi and Washington.
Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the facility, describing it as part of broader health cooperation with the United States. Government officials have said the center would be operated under strict health protocols and would not admit symptomatic Ebola patients.
The project has also become the subject of legal proceedings. Kenya’s High Court temporarily suspended construction and the admission of any potentially exposed individuals after petitions were filed by legal advocacy groups. The court later extended the suspension and ordered the government to disclose agreements and operational protocols related to the facility.
Despite the court orders, U.S. personnel and equipment have continued arriving at the site, according to Reuters and diplomatic sources cited in court-related reporting. U.S. and Kenyan authorities have publicly maintained their commitment to the project while legal proceedings continue.
As of Thursday, police remained deployed around Nanyuki, and the court case over the quarantine facility was scheduled for further hearings later this month. Details regarding any additional arrests or injuries from the latest clashes remained unclear.
