NAIROBI, June 1 - Hundreds of people gathered in Nanyuki on Monday to protest plans by the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility on a military base in Laikipia county, local residents said. The demonstrations followed a High Court order issued on Friday that temporarily halted the project after a legal challenge argued the location could pose a danger to public health.
U.S. officials have described the planned unit as a 50-bed facility at an air force base in Laikipia, intended to care for Americans who have been exposed to the virus but remain asymptomatic. Kenya’s government has publicly confirmed the plan, with Health Minister Aden Duale stating on Saturday that the facility is part of broader efforts to bolster emergency response capabilities.
According to U.S. officials involved in the planning, the site was expected to have become operational last Friday. In the days surrounding that timeline, a number of military aircraft were observed flying in and out of Nanyuki late last week and over the weekend. Diplomats and experts described those flights as consistent with preparations for the quarantine unit, despite the court-ordered suspension.
Local accounts also described an increased security presence in and around the air base. A witness said police and military personnel had stepped up patrols on the roads leading to the installation. Video footage shown on Kenyan television channels NTV Kenya and Citizen Kenya captured crowds gathered near a perimeter wall outside the air base, a tank positioned nearby and a small number of soldiers stationed on guard.
Footage obtained on Monday showed roughly 100 people assembled about 4 km from the planned facility, blowing whistles and some riding atop a pickup truck. Smoke was visible rising from material burning on the road. Local residents estimated the size of the protests in the hundreds.
Organizers of the demonstrations said they intended to sustain pressure on authorities to close the planned facility permanently. "We want the health facility to be shut down for good by Tuesday, June 9," said Patrick Wahome, one of the protest organisers. He emphasized the town’s small size as a factor in residents’ fears: "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 added: "We are picketing for our lives."
Local businesses reported disruption. Cafe owner Patrick Maina said he had closed his doors for the day and described the atmosphere as "very bad." "We haven’t opened since morning and it’s likely to be worse tomorrow," he said.
Observers also pointed to aircraft movements in the area. A U.S. military C-130 transport plane was recorded flying into Nanyuki as recently as Friday afternoon by a flight-tracking service. Two residents reported seeing military aircraft approaching the base over the weekend, although those accounts could not be independently confirmed.
The legal pause ordered by the High Court followed a lawsuit that argued the quarantine site, as located, could endanger public health. The temporary suspension remains in effect while the case proceeds.
Context and next steps
Officials on both sides have signalled differing priorities: U.S. planners emphasize a need to contain and manage potential cases among their nationals, while many local residents and campaigners focus on perceived risks to community health and the proximity of military personnel to civilian life. The court order has introduced legal uncertainty into the timeline for establishing the unit, while ongoing security measures and aircraft movements have sustained local unease.