Tear Gas, Arrests as Kenyans Protest US-Backed Ebola Quarantine Centre

Kenyan police fired tear gas and arrested several protesters on Tuesday as opposition mounted against a controversial Ebola quarantine facility being constructed for American citizens in the town of Nanyuki.

The facility, located at the Laikipia Air Base near Mount Kenya, is expected to accommodate Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities continue to battle a major Ebola outbreak.

The project has generated widespread public concern, with many Kenyans questioning why potential Ebola carriers should be quarantined in a country that has never recorded a confirmed case of the disease.

Demonstrators gathered near the air base carrying mock coffins marked “Ebola” and wearing protective suits to dramatise their opposition.

Police moved in as crowds grew larger, deploying tear gas and making multiple arrests.

 The protests come despite assurances from the Kenyan government that the centre will also benefit local health preparedness efforts.

President William Ruto has defended the project, arguing that Kenya owes a debt of gratitude to the United States for decades of support in the health sector.

The US government has pledged approximately $13.5 million towards Kenya’s Ebola preparedness programme.

However, critics insist the facility poses unnecessary risks and have called for its cancellation. 

The controversy has also reached the courts, with Kenya’s High Court issuing a temporary order halting construction, although reports indicate work has continued at the site.