The shooting happened on Tuesday as running battles engulfed the town located about 200km north of Nairobi. Journalists on the ground reported hearing gunshots before seeing a man with a head wound lying motionless. Two Source reporters later saw the body inside a police vehicle but did not witness the actual shooting. Police have not issued any statement so far.
Protesters marched with Kenyan flags, placards, and a white coffin marked Ebola in red paint. Their message was blunt. They do not want a quarantine centre for US citizens anywhere near their homes. A protest leader told Source that police shot the demonstrator dead. Tear gas was fired earlier to scatter the crowd.
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The anger has been building for weeks. People fear cross border infection risks and total lack of transparency from the government. The proposed 50 bed isolation centre would be staffed by American medics treating patients evacuated from the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. But many locals say they were never consulted.
Priscilla Imani, a protester, told Source that the plan has damaged Nanyuki and the wider Laikipia county. She said people are now afraid to visit the area. Her words were clear. Laikipia is not a dumping site and our voices must be heard.
The High Court last month ordered construction to stop after a rights group filed a case. The group argued the facility poses grave and imminent risks to Public Health. Yet satellite imagery seen by Source shows building work has continued at the airbase despite the court ruling.
A US official explained Kenya was chosen for its proximity to DR Congo and limited airport capabilities in the region. They want to ensure Americans can be treated quickly. The epicentre of the outbreak in Bunia sits roughly 780km from Nanyuki with Uganda lying between them. DR Congo has recorded around 600 confirmed Ebola cases and 100 deaths. Kenya has zero cases.
President William Ruto defended the plan saying he received a request from the US and refusing would be inhuman. He urged Kenyans not to politicise a matter as serious as Ebola and warned politicians against reckless talk. That has not calmed the streets. Protests continue and trust remains shattered.
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