In Nanyuki, Kenya, hundreds gathered to protest against plans by the United States to set up an Ebola quarantine center at the Laikipia Air Base. This demonstration followed a recent suspension by Kenya’s High Court on the facility’s establishment, pending a legal case by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog. These organizations argue that Kenya’s health system is too fragile to handle foreign Ebola patients.

U.S. government plans involve designating the Laikipia Air Base as a quarantine center for U.S. citizens exposed to Ebola, preferring this option over repatriation. An anonymous official revealed that the center would be functional with 50 beds soon. The U.S. will invest $13.5 million to assist Kenya in preparing for Ebola, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Local leaders, such as Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, expressed opposition, fearing exposure to the virus for local workers. A resident, Malin Ndegwa, questioned why the facility was not being established in countries with current outbreaks, like the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda, emphasizing that Kenya should not bear the risk.

While Kenya remains free of Ebola cases, Uganda and Congo have reported cases of the Bundibugyo strain, a species of Ebola without an approved treatment or vaccine, with over 1,000 suspected cases in Congo alone.