On June 10, Kenyan police used tear gas to disperse protesters in the central town of Nanyuki. Local residents are opposing the construction of a US quarantine center for American citizens at risk of Ebola exposure, defying a Kenyan court order to suspend the project.
The 50-bed facility is located within an airbase in Nanyuki. Many Kenyans believe the US is shifting health risks onto their country by caring for individuals exposed to Ebola during the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Last week, hundreds took to the streets in Nanyuki. The protest turned violent, leaving two dead and one injured. In the latest demonstration, a protester held a white cross with red lettering reading “Respect Ebola.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency on May 17 after detecting a rare strain of the Bundibugyo virus that had been spreading for weeks in the DRC and had reached Uganda. Unlike the more common Zaire strain, there are no approved vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo.
US officials say the Nanyuki center is only for American citizens who have been exposed but are not yet symptomatic. Symptomatic patients would be transferred to another country for treatment. The Trump administration has stated it “cannot and will not allow” any cases into the US, a departure from the approach during the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak.
Despite the court order, US military aircraft continue to transport personnel and equipment to Nanyuki. Satellite imagery shows white tents erected on a 0.046 km² area within the Laikipia base since May 27. The US says it is cooperating with the Kenyan government to address objections. Kenyan officials claim the center will also serve Kenyan citizens and foreigners, but the US has not confirmed this.
