Hundreds take to the streets in Nanyuki after the U.S. reveals plans to house Americans exposed to Ebola at a Kenyan air force base — a move Kenya’s High Court has already suspended.
IDEA Television News Desk
Two people have been shot dead and several others injured in Kenya following protests against a U.S.-backed plan to establish a 50-bed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base in the central town of Nanyuki. Protest organiser Patrick Wahome confirmed that both victims died of gunshot wounds after police opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators who had gathered to oppose the controversial plan.
The unrest broke out on Monday, just days after U.S. officials revealed that Americans exposed to the Ebola virus while abroad would be transferred to the Kenyan military base instead of being flown home for treatment — a stark policy shift from the approach taken during the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, when infected U.S. nationals were treated on American soil.
“This will expose our people to Ebola.”
— Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu
Kenya’s High Court had already acted swiftly, suspending the establishment of the facility and the arrival of any foreign patients two days before the protests, following a legal challenge filed by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog. Both organisations argued the plan lacked transparency and that Kenya’s fragile health system was ill-equipped to safely manage Ebola patients. On Tuesday, the court went further — ordering the government to publicly disclose the full details of the agreement.
Despite the court ruling and the deadly protests, President William Ruto defended the facility, insisting it was no different from other health sites already operating in Kenya. He urged citizens not to question the government’s preparedness, describing the Laikipia base installation as part of a long-running health partnership with the United States. Washington has pledged $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola readiness efforts as part of the deal.
The outbreak at the centre of the controversy involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which is spreading in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Experts warn the true scale of the outbreak — declared on May 15 — is likely far larger than official figures suggest, with over 900 suspected cases and more than 220 suspected deaths already recorded. Unlike better-known Ebola strains, there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo variant, heightening public fear.
The protests reflect deep public anxiety about a plan that many Kenyans see as placing American interests above their own safety. Local leaders have been vocal in their opposition. Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu warned that workers inside the base could be exposed, telling journalists simply: “This will expose our people to Ebola.” The situation remains tense, with the High Court’s transparency order set to pile further political pressure on President Ruto’s government in the days ahead.
