Protests in Kenya Against Proposed Ebola Quarantine Center

A large group of youths in Nanyuki, Kenya, demonstrated on Monday against the planned establishment of an Ebola quarantine center at Laikipia Air Base. The protest follows the suspension by Kenya’s High Court of the facility’s establishment and the arrival of foreign patients, pending a hearing. The case was presented by the Law Society of Kenya alongside a constitutional watchdog, arguing that Kenya’s fragile health infrastructure cannot support the quarantine of foreign Ebola patients.

Recently, U.S. officials announced plans to send American citizens exposed to Ebola to a new facility in Kenya instead of bringing them home. They stated the Laikipia Air Base facility would open with 50 quarantine beds by Friday. On that day, hundreds of protestors gathered at the air base, expressing opposition through chants against bringing Ebola to their region.

Health Minister Aden Duale emphasized that the quarantine facility would serve ‘everyone,’ not only U.S. citizens. The U.S. government has pledged $13.5 million to bolster Kenya’s readiness against Ebola, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. However, local leaders, like Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, have expressed concerns over the potential exposure of local residents employed at the air base.

Malin Ndegwa, a local resident, voiced strong opposition by stating that Kenya, not being the center of the outbreak, should not host the facility. He questioned why other affected countries, such as Congo and Uganda, were not chosen instead. ‘We want that facility out of our town, out of Kenya,’ he insisted.

Currently, Kenya has not reported Ebola cases. In contrast, neighboring Uganda has confirmed nine cases and has closed its border with Congo. The situation remains dire in Congo with at least 282 confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which lacks a specific treatment or vaccine.