Hundreds protest against planned Ebola quarantine centre for Americans in Kenya

Hundreds of demonstrators took to streets on Monday in the town of Central Kenya to protest against plans to set up an Ebola quarantine centre for United States citizens exposed to the virus, Reuters reported.

Protesters rallied in the city of Nanyuki days after Kenya's High Court ordered the government to suspend the plan temporarily. The suspension was ordered on Friday about the suggestion that Kenya should host people exposed to the virus which killed about 40 people.

Why are people protesting?

People argued that Kenya’s fragile health system means foreign Ebola patients should not be quarantined in the country and bringing people exposed to Ebola into Kenya could increase health risks.

From the videos circulating on social media obtained by news agency Reuters showed about 100 people on road leading to the Laikipia airbase – site of the planned facility – blowing ⁠whistles and some riding atop a pickup truck.

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What is the quarantine centre?

Senior US officials said the 50-bed unit at an air force base in Laikipia county ​would serve Americans who have been exposed to the virus but are still asymptomatic.

A number of military aircraft flew in and out of Nanyuki late last week and over the weekend, in what diplomats and experts said appeared to be part of ongoing US preparations for the quarantine unit despite the court ​order.

Health Minister Aden Duale said on Saturday that the agreement was part of ‌a wider push to strengthen emergency response systems, adding that the quarantine centre is intended for “everyone” and not exclusively for US nationals.

The site was expected to have become operational last Friday, according to US officials.

What did the protestors say?

NTV Kenya and Citizen Kenya television channels showed footage of people standing by a wall outside the air base, with a tank stationed there and a handful of soldiers on guard.

Patrick Wahome, ​one of the organisers of the ​protest, told Reuters that ⁠they wanted the health facility to be shut down for good by Tuesday, June 9.

"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 said.