Police disperse protest over planned US Ebola quarantine centre in Nanyuki

Police in Kenya have fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the central town of Nanyuki over a planned Ebola quarantine centre for US citizens. The demonstration was the latest in a dispute that has drawn anger from residents in Laikipia county, where the facility is proposed for an airbase. Protesters waved Kenyan flags, carried placards and held a coffin marked with the word "Ebola" as they called for the plan to be reversed.

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The centre is described as a 50-bed isolation facility intended for Americans affected by the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the supplied report, it is to be staffed by US medics, and a US official said Kenya was chosen because of its proximity and regional airport limitations. The same report says the government has faced criticism over a lack of transparency about the treatment centre, while President William Ruto has defended the plan and said refusing the request would be "inhuman".

The protest came after earlier demonstrations in Nanyuki turned deadly. Last week, two people died after being shot as police dispersed similar protests, underlining the seriousness of the unrest. The High Court had already said last month that opening the facility should be halted after a rights group argued it posed "grave and imminent risks" to public health.

The report also says satellite imagery shows construction has continued at the airbase despite that order. The dispute matters because it combines public health concerns, local opposition and a legal challenge over a project linked to an Ebola outbreak in central Africa. The centre is intended to treat Americans exposed to the virus who are still asymptomatic, which has fuelled fears among some residents about cross-border infection risks.

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Protester Priscilla Imani said the plan had affected Nanyuki and the wider county, adding that people were afraid to visit and that the area was not a dumping site. The wider context is the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the report says there have been 608 confirmed cases and 102 deaths. The city of Bunia, described as the epicentre of the outbreak, is 780km from Nanyuki, with Uganda between DR Congo and Kenya.

The report also says the US administration was aware of the court case and remained optimistic that objections could be resolved, suggesting the dispute is still active at both local and diplomatic levels. What remains unclear is whether the court order will be enforced, whether construction or deliveries to the site will continue, and how Kenyan authorities will respond if further protests take place. It is also not clear whether the plan will be altered in response to local opposition or further legal action.

The next developments are likely to depend on the court process, security decisions and any new statements from Kenyan and US officials.

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