A protest in Nairobi against the construction of a US-funded Ebola quarantine centre turned deadly on Tuesday as police clashed with demonstrators, leaving at least three people dead and dozens injured. The British embassy has urged restraint, calling for calm amid rising tensions.
The demonstration, organised by local residents and human rights groups, was sparked by fears that the quarantine facility, located in the densely populated Kibera district, would bring disease and disruption to the area. Protesters set up barricades and lobbed stones at officers, who responded with tear gas and live rounds, witnesses said.
“We are not against health. We are against being treated like guinea pigs,” said Grace Ochieng, a 32-year-old mother of three. “They told us it’s for Ebola, but we don’t trust them. We remember what happened with the vaccine trials.”
The centre, funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is part of a broader effort to bolster East Africa’s response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Uganda. But for residents, it represents a familiar pattern of foreign intervention without local consent.
“This is a community that has been neglected for years,” said James Mwangi, a local community organiser. “The government never asked us. They just put up a fence and said it’s for our own good. Now people are dying for a building that hasn’t even opened.”
The British embassy in Nairobi released a statement calling for “restraint on all sides” and urging the Kenyan government to engage with the community. “We recognise the importance of public health, but also the need for transparency and dialogue,” a spokesperson said.
Kenyan police spokesperson Charles Owino defended the officers’ actions. “We are dealing with a mob that attacked police and set fire to public property. We acted professionally to restore order,” he said. He denied that live ammunition was used, though hospital records show gunshot wounds consistent with police rounds.
The incident highlights a broader distrust of external health initiatives in Africa, rooted in a history of exploitative medical research and colonial-era injustices. In 2014, a similar centre in Sierra Leone faced riots after a nurse died from Ebola, raising questions about safety protocols.
For Sarah Wanjiku, a trader who lost her stall in the protests, the centre is a symbol of inequality. “They have their shiny buildings and their white coats. But we are the ones who suffer when the economy shuts down and no one buys our vegetables,” she said.
The government has not commented on the deaths. The CDC did not respond to requests for comment. The US embassy in Nairobi declined to comment, referring questions to the Kenyan government.
As dusk fell over Kibera, the streets remained empty except for police patrols. The quarantine centre stood silent, a testament to a promise of safety that feels like a threat to those it claims to protect.
