A demonstrator gestures as they erect a barricade during a protest against a U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine plan and the establishment of a 50-bed facility at a Kenyan air force base that was intended to host Americans exposed to Ebola, in Nanyuki town, in Laikipia County, Kenya, June 1. Image@ REUTERS/John Muchucha
Protests erupted in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki on Monday as residents intensified opposition to a controversial U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility planned at the nearby Laikipia Air Base, despite a recent court order temporarily halting the project. Demonstrators warned that hosting people exposed to the deadly virus could put the local population at risk and demanded the facility be permanently scrapped.
Crowds gathered near the military installation, with footage showing protesters blowing whistles, riding on pickup trucks and blocking roads as smoke rose from burning barricades. While videos reviewed showed around 100 people near the site, local residents estimated that several hundred people participated in the demonstrations. Kenyan television stations also aired scenes of protesters assembled outside the base as security forces maintained a visible presence in the area.
The unrest follows a High Court ruling issued late last week suspending the establishment and operation of the quarantine center pending the hearing of a legal challenge. The case, filed by rights groups including the Katiba Institute and supported by the Law Society of Kenya, argues that the project poses potential public health dangers and was introduced without sufficient public consultation or parliamentary oversight. Judge Patricia Nyaundi also barred the admission of anyone exposed to or infected with Ebola until the matter is determined in court. The next hearing is scheduled for June 2.
The proposed facility would contain 50 beds and is intended to accommodate American citizens who may have been exposed to Ebola abroad but are not showing symptoms. U.S. officials said the center forms part of Washington’s response to the worsening Ebola outbreak affecting parts of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda. The United States has pledged approximately $13.5 million to strengthen Kenya’s preparedness and emergency response capabilities.
Kenya’s Health Minister, Aden Duale, defended the initiative over the weekend, describing it as part of broader efforts to enhance emergency response systems. He also insisted the facility was not intended exclusively for Americans but would support wider preparedness measures.
However, many residents remain unconvinced. Patrick Wahome, one of the protest organizers, said demonstrators wanted the facility shut down permanently by June 9.
“Nanyuki is a very small town. The military personnel who serve the base… live with us. Our kids go to the same schools and that means if anyone is infected, we are all infected,” he said.
“We are picketing for our lives,” he added.
Business activity in the town was also disrupted by the demonstrations. Local café owner Patrick Maina said he had been forced to close his establishment amid growing uncertainty.
“We haven’t opened since morning and it’s likely to be worse tomorrow,” he told reporters, describing the situation as “very bad.”
Even after the court intervention, reports suggested preparations linked to the facility may have continued. Diplomats and security experts noted increased military activity around Nanyuki over the weekend, while witnesses observed heightened police and military deployment on roads leading to the air base. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed a U.S. military C-130 transport aircraft arriving in Nanyuki on Friday, and residents reported seeing additional military planes heading toward the base in subsequent days, although their origin could not be independently verified.
The controversy has emerged against the backdrop of a growing Ebola crisis in Central and East Africa. The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments, prompting heightened concern among governments and health authorities across the region. Kenya has not reported any confirmed Ebola cases linked to the outbreak, but fears over the potential importation of exposed individuals have fueled public resistance to the U.S.-Kenya arrangement.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah