Published On 9/6/2026
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Last update: 15:30 (Mecca time)
Citizens demonstrated in central Kenya on Tuesday in protest against the United States’ establishment of a quarantine center inside a military base to receive American nationals suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus.
The demonstration – which was organized near the Laikipia air base in the city of Nanyuki – witnessed clashes between the Kenyan police and dozens of protesters rejecting the project.
Scenes broadcast by Al Jazeera Mubasher showed some of the confrontations between the police and angry protesters, which led to smoke and fires rising around the area, amid intense security deployment.
Kenyan police arrested a number of demonstrators in Nanyuki and fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
Today’s demonstrations were renewed after similar protests in early June, which led to the killing of two people in the town of Nanyuki, after police opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators who gathered near the Laikipia base.
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Public anger erupted against the backdrop of a plan to establish an isolation unit with a capacity of 50 beds inside Laikipia Air Base, to receive Americans suspected of being exposed to the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda.
The Supreme Court of Kenya issued a decision to extend the suspension of the project for an additional 3 weeks, after stopping it earlier in response to a lawsuit filed by a human rights body.
Judge Patricia Nyawandi ruled to prevent the government from taking any steps to establish or operate the facility in Nanyuki until the case is decided, setting June 23 as the date for the next hearing.
Despite the judicial decision, diplomatic sources and an American official reported that American military aircraft continued during the past days to transport employees and equipment to the site, an indication of continuing logistical preparations.
The Kenyan government did not officially announce the details of the agreement, limiting itself to talking about discussions with the American side to enhance preparedness to combat the pandemic, while Washington pledged to provide $13.5 million to support the Kenyan health sector without publicly delving into quarantine arrangements.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is witnessing an outbreak of the “Bundebugyo” strain of the Ebola virus, which was announced on May 15, and has so far resulted in more than a thousand suspected cases and about 220 deaths, which reinforces fears of broader regional repercussions.
The administration of US President Donald Trump had chosen not to receive Americans exposed to the virus on its soil. Instead, Washington directed some infected citizens to European countries, as an American doctor who was working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was transferred to Germany for treatment, while another American missionary was transferred to the Czech Republic.
