- Police used tear gas against protesters opposing Ebola center.
- US facility plans spark protests, face court blockage.
- Government vows to proceed; US continues site development.
- US pledged $13.5 million for Kenya’s Ebola preparedness.
(Edited by Sean Sinico)
Kenyan police fired tear gas early Tuesday to break up a protest against a planned Ebola quarantine center for US citizens in the central town of Nanyuki.
Small groups of demonstrators gathered near the site of the proposed 50-bed facility at Laikipia Air Base. Some of them wore protective medical uniforms, waved Kenyan flags and carried a coffin with “Ebola” written on it. The AFP news agency reported that several people were arrested.
The site, which lies about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the capital, Nairobi, is to be managed by US staff and host Americans exposed to Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Why has the plan hit opposition?
Kenya has no recorded Ebola cases, and plans for the facility have angered many locals who say it could bring the virus into the country.
US officials say only those who are asymptomatic would stay at the isolation center, while anyone with symptoms would be sent to other countries for care.
The controversial site also sparked protests earlier this month. Rights groups reported two people died in those demonstrations.
Kenya’s High Court has temporarily blocked construction at the site, but the government of President William Ruto has vowed to press ahead with the center.
What has Ruto said about the center?
“The American people and government have been partners with us on matters of health for close to 25-30 years,” Ruto said last week.
“It would be most unfortunate if on one request by the Americans to set up a facility at their cost, we would refuse. We would look very inhuman,” he added.
US military planes have continued to deliver staff and equipment to the site despite the court order, according to US diplomatic sources and flight-tracking data cited by Reuters news agency.
The US has said it is aware of the court challenge and was “working with the Kenyan government to resolve any objections.”
The US government has also said it “cannot and will not allow” any cases to enter the United States.
Kenya’s health minister has said the facility in Nanyuki will be used for Kenyans as well as Americans. But US officials have not confirmed this.
At the end of May, Washington pledged $13.5 million (€11.7 million) for Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.
More than 500 cases in virus epicenter Congo
The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency over the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda on May 17.
Authorities have confirmed more than 550 cases and at least 100 deaths since the outbreak was first declared nearly a month ago.
Experts warn, however, that the number of infections is likely much higher because the virus was thought to be circulating for several weeks before the first cases were confirmed.
The latest Ebola outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.
(Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.)
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