Kenyan police used guns, water cannons, and tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters in the central town of Nanyuki during a demonstration against a quarantine center for US citizens potentially exposed to Ebola.
The protest on Tuesday saw locals lighting fires and hurling stones at law enforcement, prompting a heavy-handed police response.
The proposed quarantine center at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki has sparked outrage among Kenyans, many of whom argue the US is shifting the burden of caring for Ebola-exposed individuals from outbreak zones in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to Kenya.
Kenya has never recorded an Ebola case, and most residents oppose bringing people at risk of carrying the virus into the country.
The facility, expected to have 50 isolation beds and be operated by US personnel, was nearly completed last weekend. Construction has continued despite a temporary suspension order from Kenya's High Court and fierce opposition from local politicians.
President William Ruto's government has vowed to push ahead with the project, arguing that Kenya owes Washington for years of financial and technical support. The US has pledged $13.5 million to support Kenya's Ebola prevention efforts.
