British nationals in Kenya have been warned to stay indoors as protests over a controversial US-backed Ebola quarantine plan turn violent, leaving at least 12 dead and dozens injured. The Foreign Office issued an urgent alert on Tuesday night, urging UK citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Nairobi and Mombasa, where police fired tear gas and live rounds at demonstrators blocking roads and burning tyres.
The unrest erupted after leaked documents revealed a US proposal to impose mandatory 21-day quarantine for all passengers from affected regions, which Kenyans claim would devastate tourism and trade. “This is a colonial plot,” shouted protester Grace Odhiambo, 34, a hotel worker from Mombasa. “We are not guinea pigs for American experiments.”
Kenya’s economy, already reeling from high food prices, now faces paralysis. The protests have shut down the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, a lifeline for transporting goods, and the coastal city’s port operations slowed by 40%. “I cannot afford to stay home,” said cab driver Samuel Kipkoech, 42, whose fares dropped by half. “Bread costs 60 shillings now. How do we eat?”
The UK government has deployed crisis teams but advises against travel to volatile areas. “We are closely monitoring the situation,” said a Foreign Office spokesperson. “British nationals should register their location and follow local security advice.”
Meanwhile, unions warn that the shutdowns are exacerbating inequality. “Workers are caught between a deadly disease and empty pockets,” said union leader Jane Wanjiku. “The government must listen to our grievances before more lives are lost.”
As night falls over Nairobi, the city’s main hospital reports treating dozens for gunshot wounds. The UK embassy is bracing for an influx of calls from anxious British families. For now, the human cost of this diplomatic standoff is measured in shattered windows and broken bodies, not in balance sheets.
