Hundreds protest in Kenya over Ebola quarantine center for U.S. citizens in their country

Hundreds of youth in the town of Nanyuki, Kenya, protested Monday, chanting anti-Ebola slogans against the establishment of an Ebola quarantine center at the Laikipia Air base for U.S. citizens exposed to the virus. 

This comes two days after a court in Kenya suspended the U.S.’ plan to erect a quarantine facility for Americans exposed to the strain of Ebola virus spreading in northeastern Congo, after backlash from medical workers and advocates.

On Thursday, officials at the U.S. administration said they would send Americans exposed to Ebola to a new facility without flying them home. They shared these plans on the condition of anonymity, according to AP News, with plans to have 50 quarantine beds by Friday.

“We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. The U.S. government also intends to commit $13.5 million to Kenya's Ebola preparedness, Rubio said in a statement on Thursday.  

While the Kenyan government is in discussions with the U.S. regarding Ebola preparedness, they declined to comment on the treatment facility for American citizens. 

Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale has defended the U.S.-backed quarantine center and said Sunday that the facility was for “everyone,” and not just for U.S. citizens. 

Nairobi’s High Court has placed a hold on proceeding with a deal on the Ebola facility until petitions can be heard on Tuesday. The Katiba Institute, a constitutional watchdog, and the Kenya Law society, filed petitions and asked to nullify any agreements signed between the U.S. and Kenya. They cited the lack of infrastructure in Kenya needed to manage such a facility, exposing the public to serious risks.

The Kenyan doctors’ union, which said that it would proceed with a 48-hour strike should the nation strike that deal, also said that the country should not become a “dumping ground”. 

Kenyan citizens have also been angered at the prospect.

“Why do they want to get infected people and bring them to Kenya? Kenya is not a dumping area for such sick people,” said laborer Cedric Akweyu, according to an interview with The Associated Press.

In northeastern Congo, health workers are struggling to contain the Bundibugyo virus, an Ebola strain with no approved vaccine or treatment. The government of Congo confirmed over 1,000 suspected cases, and a minimum of 220 deaths since the outbreak was declared May 15. 

However, WHO suspects the outbreak is more widespread as the virus had been spreading for weeks undetected. Congo’s health ministry said on Tuesday they had confirmed 101 cases and were monitoring more than 3,000 potential contacts.

Uganda has also confirmed seven cases and one death from the virus.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials have begun expanding the number of airports with screening by CDC staffers for passengers coming from outbreak countries, starting last week at Washington Dulles International Airport and at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. 

The government has also banned the entry of individuals without U.S. passports or U.S. green card holders who visited Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days.