Africa-Press – Kenya. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Nanyuki in central Kenya to protest against U.S. plans to establish a quarantine center for Ebola patients at a military base there, according to local sources, following a recent order from the Supreme Court for the government to temporarily suspend the plan.
The court ordered the temporary suspension on Friday after a lawsuit was filed claiming that the site could pose a public health risk. Senior U.S. officials stated that the unit, which includes 50 beds at an airbase in Laikipia County, would serve Americans who have been exposed to the virus but are still asymptomatic. The Kenyan government also confirmed plans to establish the center, with Health Minister Aden Duale stating in a statement on Saturday that it is part of a broader effort to enhance emergency response systems.
U.S. officials indicated that the site was expected to begin operations last Friday. Several military aircraft flew to and from Nanyuki late last week and over the weekend, which diplomats and experts described as part of ongoing U.S. preparations to establish the quarantine unit, despite the court order.
An eyewitness reported to a local news outlet on Saturday that police and military had increased their presence on the roads leading to the airbase. Footage on Monday showed a crowd of about 100 people standing approximately 4 kilometers from the proposed site, honking horns, with some riding on a small truck. Smoke was seen rising from a fire on the road. Local residents estimated the number of protesters to be in the hundreds.
NTV Kenya and Citizen Kenya aired footage of people standing next to a wall outside the airbase, with a tank stationed there and a few soldiers on alert.
Patrick Wahome, one of the protest organizers, stated that they are demanding the permanent closure of the health facility by Tuesday, June 9. He added, “Nanyuki is a very small town. We have military personnel living among us who serve at the base. Our children go to the same schools, which means if anyone gets infected, we will all be affected.” He continued, “We are protesting for our lives.”
According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, a U.S. military transport aircraft of the C-130 model flew over Nanyuki on Friday afternoon. Two residents of Nanyuki also reported seeing military planes flying towards the base over the weekend.
