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Anti-US Ebola facility protest in Nanyuki turns violent
Kenyan police fired tear gas on Tuesday to scatter protesters in Nanyuki opposing a quarantine centre for Americans exposed to Ebola that the US government has raced to build, despite Kenyan court orders barring further work.
Demonstrations rocked the town in Laikipia County as residents engaged police in running battles.
A section of them started warming up for the demos as early as 8am, with police dispersing them by lobbing tear gas and shooting in the air.
Protests in Nanyuki town against Ebola quarantine centre on June 9, 2026.
On Monday, police bosses held a meeting with a section of residents and promised them that they would be allowed to demonstrate so long as they were peaceful.
However, later in the evening, Nanyuki Police OCS Michael Ndirangu issued a notice banning the demos, citing violence witnessed in the past.
A police officer carries a mock coffin used as a prop by demonstrators during a protest against a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki, Laikipia, on June 9, 2026.
In a letter to Sheria Mashinani, a human rights lobby group, he said they would not allow the demonstration.
“The exercise of rights must be undertaken within the confines of the law and with due regard to public order, public safety and the rights of other members of the public as provided for under Article 24 of the Constitution and the Public Order Act (Cap. 56),” the letter said.
“This office notes that a similar demonstration previously held in opposition to the proposed quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base was presented as a peaceful and lawful gathering. Contrary to those assurances, the demonstration turned violent, resulting in destruction of property, obstruction of public roads and attacks on members of the public as well as police officers.”
Banning the planned protest irked residents, who took to the streets as planned.
Angered Kenyans
Protests in Nanyuki town against Ebola quarantine centre on June 9, 2026.
The proposed 50-bed unit on an air force base has angered many Kenyans, who accuse the US of offloading the health risk of caring for those exposed to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Two people were killed in protests last week in Nanyuki, where frustration has grown among residents as Kenyan and US authorities publicly reaffirm their commitment to the plan in spite of the court orders.
Police fired tear gas to disperse small groups of protesters who had gathered early on Tuesday. One protester carried a white cross emblazoned with the phrase "Respect Ebola" in red.
US President Donald Trump's administration has said it "cannot and will not allow" any cases to enter the US, unlike during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa when several infected US nationals were treated on US soil.
The Nanyuki facility is designated for Americans who have been exposed to the virus but are still asymptomatic. Patients who develop symptoms would be sent for care to other countries, US officials have said.
US military planes have continued to ferry in staff and equipment even after court orders blocking the plan, according to US and diplomatic sources and flight tracking data, with several aircraft expected to land this week.
Satellite imagery seen by Reuters shows an increasing build-up of white tents in the middle of a plot of land totalling around 11 acres cleared within the Laikipia Air Base since May 27.
The United States has said it is aware of the court challenge, and was "working with the Kenyan government to resolve any objections".
Demonstrators run from tear gas dispersed by police, as they take part in a protest against a US-backed Ebola quarantine plan to establish a 50-bed facility at a Kenyan air force base intended to host Americans exposed to Ebola, in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, on June 9, 2026.
Kenyan officials have said the facility would also serve Kenyans and foreign nationals in addition to American citizens, but US officials have not confirmed this.
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