NAIROBI – Hundreds of people took to the streets in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki on Monday to protest plans by the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility at a military base there, residents told Reuters. The demonstrations came days after the High Court ordered the government to temporarily suspend the project.
The court issued the temporary suspension on Friday following a lawsuit arguing that the facility could pose a risk to public health.
US and Kenyan Governments Defend Plans
Senior US officials said the 50-bed unit at an air force base in Laikipia County would serve Americans who have been exposed to the virus but remain asymptomatic. The Kenyan government has also confirmed plans for the facility, with Health Minister Aden Duale saying in a statement on Saturday that it forms part of a broader effort to strengthen emergency response systems.
US officials said the site was expected to become operational last Friday. Several military aircraft flew in and out of Nanyuki late last week and over the weekend, in what diplomats and experts said appeared to be part of ongoing US preparations for the quarantine unit despite the court order.
A Reuters witness on Saturday reported an increased police and military presence on roads leading to the air base.
Protesters Voice Fears
Footage obtained by Reuters on Monday showed a crowd of about 100 people gathered approximately 4 kilometres from the planned facility. Protesters were blowing whistles, while some rode atop a pickup truck. Smoke could be seen rising from an object burning on the road. Local residents estimated that the total number of protesters was in the hundreds.
NTV Kenya and Citizen Kenya television channels aired footage showing people standing by a wall outside the air base, where a tank was stationed and a handful of soldiers stood guard.
Patrick Wahome, one of the protest organisers, told Reuters that demonstrators wanted the health facility permanently shut down by Tuesday, June 9.
“Nanyuki is a very small town. The military personnel who serve at the base live among us. Our children attend the same schools, and that means if anyone is infected, we are all at risk,” he said.
“We are picketing for our lives,” he added.
Businesses Affected
Cafe owner Patrick Maina said he had been forced to close his business and described the situation as “very bad.”
“We haven’t opened since morning, and it’s likely to be worse tomorrow,” he told Reuters.
Military Activity Continues
A US military C-130 transport aircraft flew into Nanyuki as recently as Friday afternoon, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24.
Two Nanyuki residents also reported seeing military aircraft heading towards the base over the weekend, although Reuters was unable to confirm whether they were US aircraft.
