Ruptly
"Clashes erupted in Kenya's Nanyuki on Tuesday, as hundreds took to the streets protesting against the proposed US-backed Ebola quarantine facility, voicing concerns over its establishment amid ongoing legal disputes. Footage shows protesters marching with placards and barricading the streets, as well as confronting riot police officers who arrested some of the activists and used tear gas to disperse demonstration. "We are here to protest the Ebola quarantine because it will affect us. Look at us today, we feel as if we are already dead because we don't know what will happen next. We are fighting for our country," protester John Maigwa said. Another protester, Bethrew Onyango, criticised the government, saying, "We are tired of the nonsense. We want to liberate our country. William Ruto, you have turned our country into a dumpsite." According to media reports, businesses in Nanyuki have shut down, with parts of the town deserted amid a second wave of Ebola-related protests. "We are saying no to quarantine, no to Ebola. We won't accept Ebola here. This is our land, and we have nowhere else to go," protester Mwangi Wangai said. Plans for a US-backed Ebola isolation facility at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki sparked strong public backlash after Kenya approved a 50-bed quarantine unit in late May. Funded with approximately KSh 1.68 billion (USD 13 million) in US aid following Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the facility was intended to isolate exposed American personnel operating across Africa. Earlier on June 1, at least two protesters were shot dead, and 31 were arrested amid clashes over US military aircraft landing despite a court-ordered halt. The High Court later ordered the government to disclose all agreements related to the project. Those arrested were released on bail and vowed further demonstrations unless the plan is scrapped. On June 8, the US Embassy in Nairobi issued a travel advisory, urging its citizens in Laikipia to exercise caution."
Go to News Site
The Independent 
WalesOnline 
