STORY: :: Kenyan police fire tear gas during a protest against a quarantine center for Americans exposed to Ebola

:: Nanyuki, Kenya/ June 9, 2026

"People are now afraid to travel here. If you look at it, the hotel business has been the most affected, it's the first to suffer because of the name Ebola being associated with a place like this. Without going into too much detail, people are very angry, and as a result, many Kenyans will lose their jobs going forward. My message is this, Laikipia is not a dumping site and our voices must be heard."

:: Some residents accuse Washington of shifting the burden of caring onto Kenya

"We are here today to reject the establishment of the quarantine center at the Laikipia Air Base, given that we, as the community and society at large, we were not consulted before this establishment, before the decision to establish the quarantine facility was made."

Plumes of white smoke rose over residential streets in the central town of Nanyuki, a city in Laikipia county, as police dispersed crowds, with protesters running, chanting and holding placards. Officers were seen detaining demonstrators and loading them into police vehicles.

The proposed 50-bed unit on an air force base has angered many residents, who accuse Washington of shifting the burden of caring for those exposed to Ebola outbreaks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda onto Kenya.

Two people were killed in protests last week in Nanyuki, where frustration has grown as Kenyan and U.S. authorities reaffirm their commitment to the plan.

Several U.S. citizens have been exposed to Ebola in eastern Congo and Uganda, where there have been more than 500 confirmed cases and 100 confirmed deaths from the outbreak declared last month. 

Six, including one who tested positive for the disease, were moved to a medical facility in Germany last month, while another was taken to the Czech Republic. 

The Nanyuki facility is designated for Americans who have been exposed to the virus but are still asymptomatic. Patients with symptoms would be sent to other countries, U.S. officials have said.