Kenyan police crack down on protest against US Ebola quarantine facility

NANYUKI, Kenya – Kenyan police fired tear gas on June 9 to scatter protesters in the central town of Nanyuki opposing a quarantine centre for Americans exposed to Ebola that the US government has raced to build despite Kenyan court orders barring further work.

The proposed 50-bed unit on an air force base has angered many Kenyans, who accuse the US of offloading the health risk of caring for those exposed to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Two people were killed in protests last week in Nanyuki, where frustration has grown among residents as the Kenyan and US authorities publicly reaffirm their commitment to the plan in spite of the court orders.

Police fired tear gas to disperse small groups of protesters who had gathered early on June 9. One protester carried a white cross emblazoned with the phrase “Respect Ebola” in red.

US President Donald Trump's administration has said it “cannot and will not allow” any cases to enter the US, unlike during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa when several infected US nationals were treated on US soil.

Several US citizens have been exposed to Ebola in eastern Congo and Uganda, where there have been more than 500 confirmed cases and 100 confirmed deaths from the outbreak declared in May.

Six, including one who tested positive for the disease, were moved to a medical facility in Germany in May, while another was taken to the Czech Republic.

The Nanyuki facility is designated for Americans who have been exposed to the virus but are still asymptomatic. Patients who develop symptoms would be sent for care to other countries, US officials have said.

A High Court judge has twice issued orders barring Kenya’s government from taking steps to build or begin operations ⁠at the site.

Her latest order gave the government one week to disclose all agreements and operational protocols related to the facility.

Joshua Malidzo, a lawyer challenging the quarantine plan on behalf of the Katiba Institute legal advocacy group, said the court’s deadline expired on June 8 without the government complying.

The Kenyan government has not commented on the court’s order and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kenya’s President William Ruto said last week that his administration was doing “the right thing” by establishing the facility.

US military planes have continued to ferry in staff and equipment even after court orders blocking the plan, according to US and diplomatic sources and flight tracking data, with several aircraft expected to land this week.

Satellite imagery seen by Reuters shows an increasing build-up of white tents in the middle of a plot of land totalling around 0.046 sq km cleared within the Laikipia Air Base since May 27.

The US has said it is aware of the court challenge and was “working with the Kenyan government to resolve any objections”.

Shortly after the Kenyan government agreed to the quarantine plan, the US said it would provide US$13.5 million (S$17.4 million) for Kenya’s Ebola preparedness effort.

Kenyan officials have said the facility would also serve Kenyans and foreign nationals in addition to American citizens, but US officials have not confirmed this. REUTERS