Two people shot dead during protests in Kenya

2026-06-02 13:45:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Two people have been shot dead in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki, amid protests against US plans to set up an Ebola isolation centre at a nearby military base, the BBC has learned.

One of the victims was shot in an area near Laikipia Air Base where a demonstration was taking place. He died after being taken to the city hospital by friends.

The other victim was already dead when he was taken to the hospital by soldiers.

The circumstances of their deaths are unclear and officials have not commented on the matter. A police spokesman told Reuters news agency he was not aware of any deaths.

On Monday, hundreds of demonstrators marched through the city's streets, blocking roads and burning tires, while police fired tear gas to disperse them.

Community leader Patrick Wahome told the BBC that one of those who died was shot while "returning home after closing his business".

The BBC has not been able to confirm the circumstances in which the second man died. Both bodies, which are in the hospital morgue, appear to have gunshot wounds - one to the chest and the other to the shoulder.

The city was quiet on Tuesday morning and there was a heavy presence of security forces on the streets.

The US plan to set up an Ebola treatment facility in Kenya has sparked public concern about the risks of cross-border infection.

The 50-bed isolation center will be staffed by American medical personnel and is intended to treat American citizens affected by the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kenya has not recorded any cases of Ebola so far.

Last Friday, the Supreme Court said the opening of the center must be stopped after a human rights group filed a lawsuit claiming the facility posed "serious and immediate risks" to public health.

Speaking for the first time about the issue on Monday evening, President William Ruto defended the plan, saying Kenya had "deployed every arsenal" to defend the country.

He told reporters that the US government had requested support from Kenya in dealing with the virus, which he had immediately accepted, describing it as a "mutual agreement".

"When President [Donald] Trump asked Kenya to support them by establishing a center at Laikipia Air Base, I gave the approval because it was an agreement with friends who have been cooperating with Kenya for 30, 40 years," he said.

He urged Kenyans not to politicize an issue "as serious" as Ebola, asking politicians to avoid "reckless" talk about it.
"We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing," he added.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the stay, ordering the government to disclose details of the proposed Ebola facility.

Military planes have been seen flying in and out of the air base, in what experts call ongoing preparations despite the court order.

The Kenyan doctors' union and government oversight bodies have opposed the plan, saying it risks exposing local populations./CNA, translated by BBC