Hundreds of youths protested in Nanyuki, Kenya, on Monday against the establishment of an Ebola quarantine center at Laikipia Air Base for American citizens exposed to the virus. The protests followed a suspension by Kenya’s High Court of the facility's establishment and the arrival of foreign patients, pending a hearing by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog, which cited concerns over the country's fragile health system.
U.S. officials announced plans to send Americans exposed to Ebola abroad to the new facility in Kenya rather than returning them home. The facility is expected to have 50 quarantine beds operational by Friday. Health Minister Aden Duale stated that the center would serve “everyone” and not just U.S. nationals.
Local leaders, including Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, expressed opposition to the quarantine center, citing potential exposure to the virus for local residents working at the air base. A resident, Malin Ndegwa, criticized the decision to host the facility in Kenya, questioning why it could not be established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda, where Ebola cases have been reported. Kenya has not recorded any Ebola cases, while Uganda has reported nine and closed its border with Congo. The current outbreak in Congo has seen at least 282 confirmed cases and over 1,000 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatment or vaccine.