Kenya Police Clash with Protesters Over Planned US Ebola Quarantine Facility

Published On 9 Jun 20269 Jun 2026

In the central town of Nanyuki, Kenya’s police deployed gunfire, water cannons, and tear gas to quash a protest that erupted when residents set fires and hurled stones at law‑enforcement officials. The demonstrators opposed the construction of a quarantine centre for U.S. citizens who had been exposed to Ebola.

The proposed facility, located at Laikipia Air Base, has sparked widespread outrage in Kenya, with many citizens accusing the United States of transferring the risks associated with caring for Ebola‑exposed individuals from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to Kenya.

Kenya has never recorded an Ebola case, making the prospect of a potential carrier facility fundamentally unsettling for local communities. The centre is slated to feature 50 isolation beds and will be managed by U.S. staff, and construction was nearing completion as of late last week.

Despite a temporary halt order issued by Kenya’s High Court and vocal opposition from local politicians, the project has continued. President William Ruto’s administration maintains that Kenya has an obligation to Washington for decades of financial and technical support.

The United States has pledged $13.5 million to bolster Kenya’s Ebola preparedness initiatives.

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