A demonstrator was reportedly shot during a protest in the Kenyan town of Nanyuki against plans to build a US Ebola quarantine centre for American citizens, according to witnesses.
A protest leader told Reuters that the man was killed by police gunfire, although authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
The protest saw demonstrators waving Kenyan flags, carrying placards, and displaying a coffin marked with the word “Ebola” as they demanded the cancellation of plans to construct the facility at a nearby military base. Police used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
The unrest follows similar protests last week, during which two people were killed after police opened fire while breaking up demonstrations.
According to AFP, clashes between protesters and police erupted across Nanyuki, located about 200km north of Nairobi. Journalists reported hearing gunshots and seeing a man lying motionless after apparently being shot in the head.
Reuters journalists later saw the man’s body in the back of a police vehicle but did not witness the shooting themselves.
Public opposition to the US-backed project has grown amid concerns about possible cross-border Ebola transmission and accusations that the Kenyan government has not been transparent about the facility.
Last month, Kenya’s High Court ordered construction to stop after a rights group filed a case arguing that the centre posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health.
One protester, Priscilla Imani, said the project had negatively affected Nanyuki and the wider Laikipia region, with fears surrounding Ebola discouraging visitors.
“My message is this, Laikipia is not a dumping site and our voices must be heard,” she told Reuters.
The planned 50-bed isolation facility is expected to be operated by US medical personnel and would treat Americans affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A US official told the BBC that Kenya was chosen because of its proximity to the outbreak zone, limited treatment capabilities at nearby airports, and the need to ensure Americans can receive medical care quickly.
The outbreak’s epicentre, Bunia in eastern DR Congo, is about 780km from Nanyuki, with Uganda lying between the two countries.
DR Congo has recorded approximately 600 confirmed Ebola cases and around 100 deaths, while Kenya has not reported any Ebola infections.
Kenyan President William Ruto defended the proposal, saying the US had requested permission to establish the facility and that rejecting the request would have been “inhuman”.
He urged Kenyans not to politicise the issue and warned politicians against making what he described as reckless statements about Ebola.
Despite the High Court’s order to halt construction, satellite imagery reviewed by the BBC indicates work on the facility has continued at the military airbase.
A US official said last week that the administration was aware of the legal challenge but remained optimistic that concerns surrounding the project could be resolved.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
