By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, June 09, 2026 - Nanyuki town ground to a halt on Monday as residents staged protests against the government's plan to establish an Ebola quarantine facility at the Laikipia Air Base, triggering violent confrontations with police and a wave of arrests.
Businesses remained shut, streets were deserted, and learning institutions closed their doors as hundreds of protesters, mainly youths, took to the streets chanting anti-government slogans and demanding an immediate halt to the project.
Heavy security was deployed across the town, with anti-riot police patrolling on foot and in vehicles. A water cannon was also stationed in the town centre as authorities sought to contain the demonstrations.
Several protesters were arrested as running battles erupted between police and demonstrators. Officers repeatedly fired teargas canisters to disperse crowds, while some protesters responded by hurling stones.
“We are simply saying no to the setting up of an Ebola quarantine facility at the Laikipia Air Base. We are not going to back down and we won't be intimidated. Our demonstrations are peaceful as required by the law,” said one protester.
Bonfires lit by demonstrators blocked sections of major roads, further paralysing movement within the town.
The unrest had been anticipated, with heads of several schools in Nanyuki and its environs advising parents of temporary closures due to security concerns linked to the planned protests.
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The demonstrations revived memories of previous protests in the town during which two people were reportedly shot dead, several others injured, and dozens arrested.
Despite the opposition, the government has maintained that the quarantine facility project will proceed.
Responding to questions from MPs in the National Assembly recently, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale defended the project, saying: “On Laikipia Air Base, it is one of the 23 quarantine isolation centres we are building, and we will not stop it.”
The standoff now sets the stage for a potentially prolonged confrontation between residents and the government over the controversial facility.