Protests have erupted for a second time in two weeks in Nanyuki, Kenya, over a U.S.-built quarantine facility designed to isolate American citizens at high risk of exposure to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda. The facility, located on an air base about 120 miles from Nairobi, has sparked anger among local residents who fear it could bring the virus into their country.
Many Kenyans accuse their government of lacking transparency about the initiative, which the U.S. has already funded with $13.5 million to support Kenya's own Ebola response.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially defended the facility, stating at a May 27 Cabinet meeting that "the number one priority of our foreign policy is to protect the American people" and that the U.S. cannot allow any Ebola cases to enter the country.
However, a week later, Rubio called his statement a "misunderstanding," clarifying that sick Americans could return to the U.S. for treatment.
Despite the controversy, the State Department remains committed to the facility, citing proximity to outbreak zones and limited airport capabilities in the region.
The Kenyan government has approved the center, with President William Ruto noting that it was a partnership with a longtime ally. However, a high court has ruled against the facility following a lawsuit by the Katiba Institute, which questions whether the executive branch can expose the public to such risks without constitutional safeguards.
Public health experts have also criticized the approach. Nahid Bhadelia, director of Boston University's Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, argues that the facility does not make America safer and may actually increase insecurity by angering the global community.
Craig Spencer, an emergency medicine physician who contracted Ebola in Guinea in 2014, warns that the facility resembles colonial decision-making and could jeopardize the lives of American health workers. He emphasizes that the best way to protect Americans is to end the outbreak entirely, not to externalize the threat.
The State Department says that individuals with high-risk exposure would volunteer for quarantine in Kenya before becoming contagious, and would be monitored for 21 days before possible repatriation. So far, no one has used the facility, and only one American has contracted Ebola.
Critics, however, question the quality of care available, noting that essential treatments like mechanical ventilation or kidney dialysis may not be provided. The State Department did not confirm whether these interventions would be available.
In response to the protests, police fired tear gas in Nanyuki, and last week two protesters were fatally shot. The situation remains tense as the U.S.
moves forward with its plans despite local opposition and legal challenges.