NANYUKI, Kenya — A protester was shot during demonstrations in Nanyuki on Tuesday as opposition to a controversial United States-backed Ebola quarantine facility intensified, according to witness accounts cited by Reuters.
Two people were killed during the previous protests.
The shooting occurred during fresh protests against the construction of a 50-bed quarantine centre intended to house American citizens exposed to Ebola.
The facility is being developed at a military installation near Nanyuki despite ongoing court proceedings and orders that temporarily halted further implementation of the project.
Witnesses told Reuters that a protester was shot during the confrontation, although authorities had not immediately released an official statement on the incident or confirmed the extent of injuries.
The latest unrest comes days after demonstrations in the central Kenyan town turned deadly.
Residents, activists and civil society groups have accused both the Kenyan and the United States governments of disregarding public concerns and court directives while advancing plans for the facility.
Police were seen deploying tear gas to disperse protesters gathered in various parts of Nanyuki. Demonstrators carried placards and symbolic crosses, demanding that authorities halt the project and comply with judicial orders.
The quarantine centre has become one of the country’s most contentious public health and governance issues. Critics argue that Kenya is being exposed to unnecessary risks by hosting individuals potentially exposed to Ebola, while supporters maintain the facility is intended only for asymptomatic persons and forms part of broader international disease preparedness efforts.
The controversy intensified after the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency in May following the spread of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda. Health experts have expressed concern because there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting the strain.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has maintained that Americans exposed to the virus should not be brought onto US soil and instead be quarantined at designated overseas facilities. Under the proposed arrangement, individuals who develop symptoms would be transferred elsewhere for treatment.
Court filings and reports have indicated that aircraft carrying equipment and personnel linked to the project continued arriving in Kenya despite legal challenges and conservatory orders suspending implementation. Those developments have fuelled allegations that authorities are undermining the rule of law and ignoring public participation requirements.
The High Court recently directed the government to disclose agreements, biosafety assessments, regulatory approvals and operational protocols relating to the facility. Petitioners have since argued that full compliance with those orders has not been achieved.
The shooting is likely to intensify scrutiny of the government’s handling of the dispute, which now extends beyond public health concerns to questions of constitutional rights, transparency, public participation and the use of force during demonstrations.
