Police fire tear gas at Nanyuki protest over planned US-run Ebola quarantine centre

Kenyan police fired tear gas to disperse a protest in the central town of Nanyuki on Tuesday against a planned Ebola quarantine centre for United States citizens, according to BBC and Reuters reports. Demonstrators gathered near the proposed site at Laikipia Air Base, carrying Kenyan flags and placards and, in some accounts, a coffin marked with the word “Ebola.” Reuters reported that police used tear gas and a water cannon during the crackdown, while some protesters were detained.

The quarantine facility is expected to have about 50 beds and is intended to isolate and treat Americans who have been exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the outbreak has prompted international public health responses. US officials have said Kenya was chosen in part because of regional proximity and limited existing capabilities at nearby airports, Reuters and BBC reported. BBC described the plan as staffing and operating arrangements led by US personnel.

Public opposition has intensified because Kenya has no recorded Ebola cases and residents in Laikipia have voiced concerns about cross-border infection risk and what they call a lack of transparency in how the centre would operate. In remarks reported by BBC, President William Ruto said the government received a request from the US to establish the facility, and that refusing it would be “inhuman.” He urged Kenyans not to “politicise” a matter he described as serious, and warned against “reckless” talk about Ebola.

The protests have also drawn attention to legal proceedings. BBC reported that last month Kenya’s High Court said the opening of the facility should be halted, after a rights group challenged the plan on grounds that it posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health. BBC also said the government has vowed to press ahead, and that US deliveries of staff and equipment continued despite the court intervention, citing US diplomatic sources.

The confrontation on Tuesday followed earlier unrest over the same issue. BBC reported that last week two people died after being shot as police dispersed similar protests. Reuters said Tuesday’s demonstration involved hundreds of protesters, and described arrests during the dispersal, underscoring the security and public-order challenges facing Kenyan authorities as they manage the dispute.

Local economic effects have also been reported. The Daily Nation said hotels in Laikipia began receiving tourist cancellations tied to fears about the Ebola facility. For many residents, the planned quarantine centre is therefore not only a health and diplomacy issue but also a regional jobs and community impact concern as attention focuses on how safeguards would be implemented.

With the confrontation underway and the legal challenge still central to the dispute, the next steps hinge on whether Kenyan authorities comply with the High Court’s order and on what additional information the government provides about operational protocols at the site. Public health officials and residents are likely to keep pressing for clarity on infection control measures, the flow of patients, and the jurisdictional authority governing a US-staffed isolation facility in Kenyan territory, particularly as protests continue to test police handling of large demonstrations, Reuters and BBC reported.