Police fired tear gas at protesters in Nanyuki as they gathered for a second round of protests against the construction of a quarantine centre for Americans exposed to Ebola.
The proposed 50‑bed facility at the Laikipia Airbase has drawn opposition from Nanyuki residents, who argue that the project shifts the risk of handling Ebola exposure from the United States to Kenya. This is despite a court order halting further construction.
Second Wave of Protests in Nanyuki Over Ebola Facility Plan
Videos seen by The Kenya Times on June 9 show police vehicles traversing the town as officers fired tear gas canisters, sending thick white smoke across roads and nearby areas.
Smaller groups of protesters took to the streets, where police dispersed them using tear gas. One demonstrator carried a white cross marked with the words “Respect Ebola.”
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Images also show protesters holding placards and tree branches as they demonstrated against the planned facility.
Separate videos captured shuttered businesses and largely empty streets in parts of the town, showing the disruption caused by the second wave of protests.
The Trump administration has said it will not permit any Ebola cases into the United States, a shift from the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak when infected Americans were allowed to return home for treatment.
KDF Steps In as Nanyuki Protests Intensify Over Ebola Facility
Protesters took to the streets on June 1 to participate in a peaceful demonstration following reports of the establishment of an Ebola quarantine centre at Laikipia Airbase.
During the protests, the protestors sought entry to the Laikipia Airbase to get clarification on what was happening, triggering the intervention of the KDF.
The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) took charge after protests erupted in Nanyuki, within Laikipia County, over the controversial establishment of an Ebola quarantine facility.
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The residents expressed concerns that the establishment of the quarantine base in Nanyuki would expose the residents to higher risks of contracting the Ebola virus.
Two people were shot dead in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki amid protests against US plans to establish an Ebola isolation centre at a military base nearby.
Speaking to the media, one of the locals, Douglas Mwangi, explained that officers at the Laikipia Airbase are in contact with the residents, hence the risk of infection.
Further added that the quarantine facility would affect children studying in schools neighboring the Laikipia Airbase, putting them at risk, and that no public participation was carried out to involve the residents in decision-making.
“We are in constant contact with the officers at the Laikipia Airbase; children studying in the areas neighboring the Laikipia Airbase are at risk of contracting the virus, and if they are infected, we are likely to get infected. We are disagreeing with the establishment of a quarantine base in Laikipia as no public participation was undertaken to involve us in the decision,” Douglas Mwangi stated.
