Residents of the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki have protested against a US-funded Ebola quarantine centre at the nearby Laikipia Air Base, fearing both the spread of disease and foreign exploitation. Kenya’s Health Minister Aden Duale confirmed on Wednesday that the facility would proceed and would serve Kenyan and US citizens alike, dismissing claims it was intended solely for American personnel.

“I think opening an Ebola facility in Kenya is not a good idea because it’s a very dangerous disease,” said Atho Halakhe, a student in Nanyuki. The sentiment reflects broader discontent over the risk of Ebola spreading.

The centre, built at the airbase, is designed to isolate people arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which continues to battle an Ebola outbreak. It is one of 23 quarantine isolation centres being constructed across the country, Duale told parliament. “Quarantine is not only for Americans. Even Kenyans will be isolated at the facility,” he said, adding: “Laikipia airbase is one of the 23 quarantine isolation centres we are building. And we will not stop it.”

The minister’s address came days after deadly protests erupted over the project, underscoring long-standing tensions around the US military presence in the region. Many residents view the quarantine centre as having colonial undertones, compounding fears that an outbreak could be imported into their community.

The DR Congo outbreak has led to opposition in Nanyuki, highlighting the delicate balance between public health measures and community consent. Duale’s intervention sought to calm anxieties by stressing that Kenyans would also benefit, yet the protests reveal a deep-seated distrust of foreign-led health infrastructure on Kenyan soil.