Two people shot dead in Kenya protests against Ebola plan
Published on 02/06/2026 - 15:21 GMT+2 The victims were among the hundreds of protesters who had gathered near the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, Kenya, where the government...
Published on 02/06/2026 - 15:21 GMT+2
The victims were among the hundreds of protesters who had gathered near the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, Kenya, where the government plans to build a 50-bed quarantine facility to temporarily house and monitor people exposed to Ebola.
The plan comes from a bilateral agreement between Kenyan President William Ruto and the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Police fired tear gas and live ammunition as demonstrators marched towards the military base, blocked roads and burned tyres during clashes with security forces. Both victims died from gunshot wounds sustained during the confrontation. One of them was reportedly a local shopkeeper who had closed his business because of the unrest and was attempting to return home when he was shot.
Backlash against the facility
According to reports, the facility will be used for asymptomatic American citizens, medical missionaries and other personnel who may have been exposed to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Kenya has not recorded any cases so far, despite widespread testing of arrivals, but neighbouring Uganda has registered 11 cases, including one death.
The proposal has faced strong opposition from local residents and health professionals.
Critics argue that Kenya should not be asked to host people potentially exposed to the virus. Protest organisers have accused the US of transferring public health risks to Kenya.
Additionally, the quarantine project was already the subject of a legal challenge: Kenyan High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi recently extended a temporary suspension preventing the government from constructing or operating the facility until at least 23 June.
The court also ordered the government to disclose agreements related to the project that had been made with the US. However, despite the court order, reports indicate that US military aircraft have continued transporting staff and equipment to the airbase.
President Ruto has defended the project. In a post on X on Tuesday, he said the proposed US facility was "neither unique nor exceptional but part of a broader national preparedness system", adding that it "will be there to serve the people of Kenya and to serve our friends, including the Americans".
"I can assure the people of Kenya that the agreement between the government of Kenya and the American government is for the good of our country and for the partnership. Why anybody would want to politicise, to mobilise negative politics on a matter so serious as a pandemic?" he added.
