Protests over US Ebola centre in Kenya kill 2, court keeps block on site
A Kenyan court blocked on Tuesday for another three weeks a proposed US Ebola quarantine facility that has triggered protests killing two people and ordered the government to disclose its agreement with Washington.
The proposed 50-bed unit on an air force base in central Kenya for Americans exposed to the virus in Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda has angered many Kenyans. They accuse the US of offloading the health risk of caring for patients.
A Kenyan court last week temporarily suspended the plan in response to a lawsuit from a legal advocacy group. However, US military aircraft have continued to fly in staff and equipment in recent days, according to a US official and diplomatic sources.
Kenyan High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi on Tuesday issued an order barring the Kenyan government from taking any steps to build or begin operations at the facility in the town of Nanyuki before the case is resolved. The judge also ordered the government to disclose all agreements and operational protocols related to the facility within seven days and scheduled the next hearing for June 23.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hundreds protested against the plan in Nanyuki on Monday. Protest organiser Patrick Wahome said two people were killed by gunshot wounds after police opened fire. A security source also said two people had died but did not specify cause of death.