A protester died from a gunshot wound to the head this Tuesday in Nanyuki, a tourist city in central Kenya, during clashes between police and opponents of the construction of a quarantine center for U.S. citizens exposed to Ebola.
The man who was shot died on the spot. “His death is confirmed. We are waiting for his family,” declared Hussein Khalid, director of the non-governmental organization Vocal Africa. The body was collected by the police and transported in a van.
The day began peacefully, with hundreds of people walking through the city center with signs, national flags, crosses, costumes simulating personal protective equipment, and a symbolic coffin. In the afternoon, protesters set up barricades, lit fires in the streets of the Liki neighborhood, and threw stones at officers. The police responded with tear gas, water cannons, and warning shots.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission denounced the detention of 19 protesters and reported arrests made by plainclothes officers.
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The center is intended to isolate U.S. citizens arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who have been exposed to the virus. It will have 50 isolation beds, will be managed by Washington personnel, and will operate at the Laikipia air base. Kenya has no registered cases of the disease.
Another protest attendee was injured by the impact of a gas canister in the Majengo neighborhood. The Kenya Human Rights Commission denounced on the social network X the detention of 19 protesters, some arrested by plainclothes officers.
Construction work continued despite a temporary suspension order issued by the High Court of Kenya. By the end of last week, the works were almost finished, and opposition from local politicians in the area also failed to stop them.
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Activist Chris Njoki Wanene denounced that the agreement between Nairobi and Washington was closed without respecting the rule of law or informing the public. Protester Priscilla Waimani, 47, was more direct: “Laikipia is not a dumping ground… I am not happy with the United States’ decision”. Anti-riot police in Nanyuki, Kenya, on June 9, 2026. (REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi)
President William Ruto‘s government defends the project and maintains that Kenya owes a debt to Washington for years of economic aid. The United States promised USD 13.5 million for the country’s disease preparedness efforts.
Both governments signed a health agreement last year under which Nairobi agreed to hand over large amounts of health data in exchange for billions of dollars in assistance. The impact of the crisis also reaches the tourism sector: Eva Mwangi, sales manager for Tribe hotels in the capital, pointed out that 10% of their corporate bookings were canceled.
The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency due to the outbreak, which has accumulated 550 confirmed cases and 101 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The disease is also spreading to Uganda.
