Crowds gathered in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki on Monday, demonstrating against American plans to establish an Ebola isolation facility at a nearby military installation, according to local witnesses who spoke with Reuters. The demonstration came several days after Kenya’s High Court issued a temporary halt to the project.
The court issued its suspension order on Friday following legal action that argued the proposed location could pose risks to community health and safety.
American officials described the proposed 50-bed facility at the Laikipia county air force installation as a treatment center for Americans who have had contact with the virus but show no symptoms. Kenya’s leadership has endorsed the project, with Health Minister Aden Duale stating Saturday that the facility represents part of broader efforts to enhance emergency preparedness capabilities.
According to American officials, the facility was scheduled to begin operations last Friday. Multiple military aircraft were observed arriving and departing from Nanyuki throughout the previous week and weekend, which diplomatic sources and analysts suggested indicated continued American preparations despite the judicial suspension.
A Reuters correspondent reported Saturday that police and military forces had strengthened their presence along routes approaching the air installation.
Video footage from Monday revealed approximately 100 demonstrators positioned roughly 4 kilometers from the proposed facility location, using whistles and some positioned on a pickup truck. Smoke was visible from materials burning in the roadway. Community members estimated the total number of protesters reached into the hundreds.
Local television networks NTV Kenya and Citizen Kenya broadcast images of people gathered near a wall surrounding the air installation, showing a tank positioned there with several soldiers standing guard.
Patrick Wahome, among those organizing the demonstration, explained to Reuters that participants wanted the medical facility permanently closed by Tuesday, June 9.
“Nanyuki is a very small town. The military personnel who serve the base… live with us. Our kids go to the same schools and that means if anyone is infected, we are all infected,” he said.
“We are picketing for our lives,” he added.
Local business owner Patrick Maina said he had to close his cafe and characterized the circumstances as “very bad.”
“We haven’t opened since morning and it’s likely to be worse tomorrow,” he told Reuters.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed a U.S. military C-130 cargo aircraft arrived in Nanyuki as recently as Friday afternoon.
Two local residents also reported observing military aircraft approaching the installation over the weekend, though Reuters could not verify whether these were American aircraft.
