Protester shot dead in Kenya as anger over US Ebola quarantine facility erupts again
Kenyan police clashed with hundreds of demonstrators in Nanyuki on Tuesday, killing at least one person, as public fury deepened over a US-built quarantine centre for Americans exposed to Ebola.
A second wave of deadly protests
Violence returned to the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki on Tuesday as police fired tear gas and live ammunition at protesters opposing a US Ebola quarantine facility. An AFP reporter saw a man lying motionless with a gunshot wound to the head. Hussein Khalid, director of the aid group Vocal Africa, confirmed his death. The Red Cross reported that another person was injured by a tear gas canister. Dozens were arrested, some by plainclothes officers.
His death is confirmed.
The demonstration was the second in as many weeks. On 1 June, two people were killed during earlier protests against the facility, according to human rights groups. On Tuesday, protesters erected barricades and threw stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas and water cannon before gunfire rang out. Some demonstrators carried a mock coffin, while others wore medical protective suits.
The quarantine centre at Laikipia Air Base
The proposed 50-bed unit is being built on the Laikipia Air Base on the outskirts of Nanyuki, about 200 kilometres from Nairobi. It is designated for US citizens who have had a high-risk exposure to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan but remain asymptomatic. Patients who develop symptoms would be sent elsewhere for care, US officials have said.
Satellite imagery seen by Reuters shows an increasing build-up of white tents on a plot of about 0.046 square kilometres cleared within the base since 27 May. US military planes have continued to ferry in staff and equipment despite a Kenyan high court order on 28 May suspending construction. Flight tracking data indicates several more aircraft are expected this week.
- Satellite imagery shows clearing begins at Laikipia Air Base. Secretary Rubio states US 'cannot and will not allow' Ebola cases to enter the country.
- Kenyan high court orders suspension of construction.
- First protests in Nanyuki turn deadly; two people killed according to human rights groups.
- Second wave of protests erupts. Police fire tear gas and live rounds; at least one protester shot dead.
America First meets local anger
The Trump administration has framed the facility as a core element of its Ebola response. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Cabinet meeting on 27 May that the number one priority of US foreign policy is to protect the American people. The State Department later clarified that Americans who become sick could return to the US for treatment, but officials remain committed to the quarantine centre.
We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States.
The US has committed more than $200 million in direct aid for the Ebola outbreak, with every press release noting the assistance aligns with the America First doctrine. Separately, $13.5 million has been committed to Kenya to support its own Ebola response efforts.
Kenyan government backs the plan, courts push back
President William Ruto has championed the project, arguing that Kenya owes the US support and that rejecting the request would appear inhumane. He said he gave his approval when President Trump asked for Kenyan cooperation, citing a partnership spanning decades.
When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a centre... I gave the okay because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30, 40 years.
Opposition MPs have accused the government of disregarding the interests of its own population and bowing to US pressure. The doctors' union has also sharply criticised the plan, saying it will not stand by while Kenya is used as a quarantine station for a deadly pathogen. Kenya has never recorded a case of Ebola.
Local fears of contagion and economic damage
Residents of Nanyuki fear the facility could bring the virus directly to their families. There is also concern about economic fallout: the town is a gateway for safaris, hiking, and expeditions in Mount Kenya National Park. One protester, 47-year-old Priscilla Waimani, wrapped in a Kenyan flag, told AFP she was unhappy with the US decision to build a quarantine facility in her country.
Laikipia is not a dumping ground.
The US State Department said Kenya was selected due to proximity, limited airport capability in the region, and the need to evaluate and assist Americans in a timely manner. Kenyan officials have claimed the facility would also serve Kenyans and other foreign nationals, but US officials have not confirmed this.
