Hundreds of Kenyans demonstrated in the town of Nanyuki on June 1, 2026, opposing a plan to construct an Ebola quarantine center at the Laikipia Air Base intended to house U.S. citizens at risk of virus exposure. The protest came just days after Kenya’s Supreme Court suspended the project.
Footage gathered by Reuters showed roughly 100 people on roads leading to the Laikipia Air Base — the proposed site — blowing whistles, with some riding in pickup trucks. Smoke rose from a burning object on the road, and police and military personnel reinforced their presence on the access routes.
U.S. officials had announced that a 50-bed unit would be built at the base to serve American citizens exposed to the virus but not yet showing symptoms. However, a legal challenge argued the facility could endanger public health due to Kenya’s fragile health system and lack of transparency about the deal, prompting the Supreme Court to take up the case on May 29, 2026.
The U.S. government pledged $13.5 million for Kenya’s Ebola response efforts, but few details about the planned center were disclosed. Kenyan Health Minister Aden Duale stated on May 31, 2026, that the agreement was part of strengthening emergency response systems and asserted the facility would be for “everyone,” not just U.S. citizens.
The center was scheduled to become operational from May 29, according to U.S. officials. Military aircraft flew in and out of Nanyuki over the past weekend, which diplomats and experts said appeared to be preparation activities despite the court order.
Patrick Wahome, one of the protest organizers, told Reuters: “Nanyuki is a very small town. Military personnel serving the base live among us. Our children go to the same schools, and that means if someone gets infected, we all get infected.” He warned: “We are protesting for our lives.”
Another protester, Malin Ndegwa, questioned: “Why don’t they do it in DRC (Congo)? Why not in Uganda? Why bring it here?” He insisted: “We are saying categorically, no negotiations, no public participation, we want nothing. We want that facility out of our town, out of Kenya.”
