Kenya Police Clash With Nanyuki Protesters Over US Ebola Plan
Last update: June 9, 2026
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Tear gas, placards and a coffin marked Ebola. Tensions are rising in Nanyuki as locals push back against a US run isolation centre.
Police in Kenya have fired tear gas to break up a protest in Nanyuki against plans to build an Ebola quarantine centre for US citizens, cbinews.tv reports.
Small groups of demonstrators took to the streets in the central town waving Kenyan flags and carrying placards. Some were even holding a coffin with the word Ebola written on the side. Their demand is simple. They want the plan reversed.
This is not the first time things have turned violent. Last week, two people died after being shot when police dispersed similar protests.
The US plan has caused a lot of public worry. People are concerned about cross border infection risks and say the government has not been transparent about the treatment centre.
In fact, last month the High Court said the opening of the facility should be halted. That came after a rights group filed a case arguing it posed grave and imminent risks to public health.
One protester, Priscilla Imani, said the plan is already hurting Nanyuki and the wider Laikipia county. People are now afraid to visit the area. She said her message is clear. Laikipia is not a dumping site and their voices must be heard.
So what is the plan exactly? The proposed 50 bed isolation centre would be staffed by US medics. It is meant to treat Americans affected by the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A US official told reporters that Kenya was picked because of proximity. Airports in the region have limited capability, and the goal is to treat Americans quickly if needed. Bunia, the Congolese city at the centre of the outbreak, is 780 kilometres from Nanyuki, with Uganda sitting between DR Congo and Kenya.
DR Congo has recorded 608 confirmed Ebola cases and 102 deaths so far. Kenya has not recorded any cases.
President William Ruto has defended the plan. He said the US asked Kenya to set up the centre and refusing would be inhuman. He urged Kenyans not to politicise something as serious as Ebola and asked politicians to avoid reckless talk.
Despite the court order halting construction, satellite imagery shows work has continued at the airbase. A US official said last week that the administration is aware of the court case but remains optimistic they can resolve the objections.
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