Two Killed in Kenya Protests Against US Ebola Isolation Facility Plan

According to reports from Nairobi, a US plan to set up an Ebola virus isolation facility in Kenya has sparked local protests, resulting in two deaths in central Kenya. Kenyan President William Ruto has refuted claims that the facility poses a threat to public safety. Reuters reported that protest organizer Patrick Wahome stated two people died from gunshot wounds after police opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators in the town of Nanyuki. The site is expected to be located at a local air base. Security sources confirmed the deaths but did not specify the cause. Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri stated he was unaware of the incident. The facility is planned to have 50 beds to receive Americans exposed to the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda. Many Kenyans are angry, accusing the US of offloading public health risks onto Kenya. Following a lawsuit by legal advocacy groups, a Kenyan court temporarily suspended the project last week, but diplomatic sources report that US military aircraft have continued to transport personnel and equipment in recent days. President Ruto defended the facility as part of a national epidemic prevention plan and long-term health cooperation with the US.