Kenyan police fired tear gas on Tuesday to scatter protesters in the central town of Nanyuki opposing a quarantine centre, for Americans exposed to Ebola that the United States (US) government has raced to build despite Kenyan court orders barring further work.
The proposed 50 bed unit on an air force base has angered many Kenyans, who accuse the US of offloading the health risk of caring for those exposed to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
Two people were killed in protests last week in Nanyuki, where frustration has grown among residents as Kenyan and US authorities publicly reaffirm their commitment to the plan in spite of the court orders.
Police fired tear gas to disperse small groups of protesters who had gathered early on Tuesday. One protester carried a white cross emblazoned with the phrase “Respect Ebola” in red.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has said it “cannot and will not allow” any cases to enter the US, unlike during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa when several infected US nationals were treated on US soil.
The Nanyuki facility is designated for Americans who have been exposed to the virus but are still asymptomatic.
Patients who develop symptoms would be sent for care to other countries, US officials have said.
–Reuters–
