‘We don’t have another country to run to’: Kenyans fear US plan for Ebola quarantine site | Ebola

People from a town in central Kenya where the United States wants to set up an Ebola quarantine facility for its citizens have slammed the plan, saying they fear it will expose them to the virus and say it is a sign of double standards on the part of the United States.

“Everyone should be quarantined in their own country. We should not allow foreigners to bring diseases to us,” said taxi driver Charles Mathenge, who lives near the proposed Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, 190 kilometers from the capital Nairobi. “Kenya is our country and we must take care of it.”

Anger has been rising across the country in recent days. Two people died from gunshot wounds when police opened fire on demonstrators near the air base on Monday, according to a protest organizer. Police said they were not aware of any deaths.

Souvenir seller David Mulinge said: “What’s shocking is that Americans want their infected citizens to come to Kenya instead of setting foot in their own country. It’s like treating us as lesser beings.”

Health authorities in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are struggling to contain the virus outbreak. The outbreak was declared on May 15, but the virus is thought to have been circulating undetected for weeks before that date.

The outbreak, which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international public health emergency, is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no vaccine or approved treatment.

There have been 41 deaths and 321 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo so far, and one death and nine confirmed cases in Uganda, the WHO said on Tuesday. There are no known cases in Kenya.

The US government plans to send 30 medical personnel to staff the Nanyuki facility, which will have 50 beds if completed. In previous Ebola outbreaks, the United States sent affected citizens back home for medical treatment.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 28 that the US should keep potential Ebola patients out of the country. “We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” he told the cabinet meeting.

Last month, an American doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo flew to Germany for care with his wife and four children.

The proposal caused outrage in Kenya. In a statement released last week, Dr. of the Kenya Association of General Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists. Davji Atellah said the group would not do this. “Sit back and watch Kenya become a conservation colony”. “If it’s too dangerous for America, it’s too dangerous for Kenya,” he said.

Following a petition by the Kenyan non-profit Katiba Institute, the Nairobi high court last week temporarily blocked the establishment of the facility and the admission of people exposed to Ebola. The organization said the agreement between the Kenyan and US governments regarding the facility raises serious concerns about public health, governance and sovereignty.

U.S. Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom Jeremy Lewin said the U.S. government is in contact with Kenyan officials and is optimistic about resolving the issue.

On Tuesday, Kenya’s president, William Ruto, defended the plan, saying it was politicized and part of a broader system of national health preparedness. “These measures are solely aimed at protecting public health and strengthening our capacity to respond effectively to health emergencies,” he said in X.

But high court judge Patricia Nyaundi later barred the Kenyan government from proceeding with the plan before the case is resolved. He also directed the government to disclose all agreements related to the facility within seven days. The next hearing will be held on June 23.

In Nanyuki, an agricultural hub of more than 70,000 people located almost directly on the equator and home to a British army training unit, talk of the planned quarantine facility is taking place among concerned people in shops, markets, homes and elsewhere.

Motorcycle taxi operator Simon Ng’ono questioned why the United States, which has more advanced healthcare infrastructure and resources than Kenya, wanted to bring Ebola-exposed Americans to the city. “President Ruto must abandon this plan completely and close our borders to patients from other countries,” he added.

Mulinge said he was concerned about the potential for the virus to spread rapidly in Nanyuki, where he said people had a lot of physical contact in workplaces and social settings. “We are very afraid of catching the disease,” he said.

Street food vendor Fauzia Owinde said she feared a return of curfew or lockdown like during the Covid-19 pandemic if Ebola spread to the community, which would disrupt her business and leave her unable to provide for her child. “We would die in our homes,” he said.

The air base has an elementary and secondary school, and many people worry that the spread of the disease will affect students. “My grandchildren [are] “We are there every day,” Mathenge said. “We don’t want any problems.”

Entrepreneur Purity Kendi says she feels betrayed by the Kenyan government. “We expect our leaders to protect us, but they have shown that they don’t care about us,” he said. He called on Kenyans across the country to unite and oppose the plan. “We have no other country to escape to,” he said.