Kenyan police fired tear gas and detained several demonstrators on Tuesday as protests intensified against a controversial U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility being built near the town of Nanyuki.
The planned 50-bed centre, located inside a Kenyan air force base, is intended to house American citizens exposed to Ebola during the ongoing outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The project has sparked widespread opposition, with critics accusing Washington of shifting the burden and risks of managing the outbreak onto Kenya.
Tensions have been building for days. Last week, two people were killed during demonstrations in Nanyuki, where residents have continued to challenge both Kenyan and U.S. authorities over the project.
On Tuesday morning, police moved in to disperse small groups of protesters gathering near the military base.
Witnesses said officers fired tear gas and detained at least six people. One demonstrator carried a white cross bearing the words “Respect Ebola” as a symbol of opposition to the facility.
“We are not happy with the idea of establishing this Ebola facility here,” said 24-year-old protester Bethwel Onyango.
“Why would a government set up a facility to control a disease we don’t have when they can’t deal with the ones already affecting us?”
The dispute comes as the United States maintains a strict policy of preventing Ebola cases from entering the country.
The Trump administration has insisted that individuals exposed to the virus should be quarantined outside the U.S., unlike during the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, when infected Americans received treatment on U.S. soil.
Several U.S. citizens have reportedly been exposed during the current outbreak in Congo and Uganda, where more than 500 cases and over 100 deaths have been confirmed since the outbreak was declared last month.
American officials say the Nanyuki facility would only accommodate individuals exposed to the virus who are not showing symptoms. Anyone who becomes ill would be transferred elsewhere for treatment.
The project has also become the subject of a legal battle. Kenya’s High Court has twice ordered the government to halt construction and disclose all agreements and operational plans linked to the facility.
Lawyers challenging the project say the government failed to comply with the latest court deadline, which expired on Monday.
Despite the court orders, U.S. military aircraft have continued transporting personnel and equipment to the site, according to diplomatic sources and flight-tracking data.
Satellite images reviewed by Reuters show a growing cluster of white tents on an 11-acre section of Laikipia Air Base that has been cleared for the facility since late May.
Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the project, saying his government is doing “the right thing.”
The United States has also stood by the plan, saying it is working with Kenyan authorities to address concerns raised in court.
Shortly after Kenya agreed to host the facility, Washington announced $13.5 million in support for the country’s Ebola preparedness efforts.
While Kenyan officials have said the centre could also be used by local citizens and other foreign nationals if needed, U.S. authorities have not publicly confirmed that arrangement.
As construction continues and legal challenges mount, the proposed facility has become a flashpoint in the debate over public health, national sovereignty and Kenya’s relationship with the United States.
