Protests Erupt in Kenya Over Planned US Ebola Quarantine Facility at Military Base

June 2, 2026

Mintesinot Nigussie

Hundreds of residents took to the streets in Nanyuki, central Kenya, on Monday to oppose plans by the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility at a local military base, amid mounting legal and public health concerns that have already triggered a court intervention.

The demonstrations followed a High Court ruling on Friday that temporarily suspended the project after a lawsuit argued the facility could pose risks to public health.

The proposed 50-bed unit, planned for an air force base in Laikipia County, is intended to accommodate US nationals who have been exposed to Ebola but are not yet showing symptoms.

Kenya’s government has acknowledged the plan, with Health Minister Aden Duale saying on Saturday that the facility forms part of broader efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and response systems.

Public opposition has intensified on the ground in Nanyuki, where protesters said the facility would endanger a densely interconnected community living alongside the military base.

Business activity in the town was also disrupted, with some traders closing operations as crowds gathered near key access routes.