Conflict · Kenya vs US · ArchiveKenya Defies Court on US-Backed Ebola Facility; Two Protesters Killed in NanyukiAired July 23, 2026 at 6:18 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00In Kenya tonight, the government is0:02facing accusations of openly defying a0:04high court order after two protesters0:06were killed during clashes over a0:08US-backed Ebola quarantine facility. The0:10facility at Laikipia Airbase was0:12supposed to be halted by a court ruling,0:14but authorities pushed ahead anyway. Now0:16the health minister has been found in0:18contempt and a rights group says0:20patients may already be inside.0:23Nanyuki sits about 200 km north of0:25Nairobi in Laikipia County. The0:28US-backed quarantine facility is located0:30at the Laikipia Airbase just outside0:32town. It was meant to serve as an Ebola0:34preparedness hub, but the High Court0:36ordered construction stopped, a0:37directive the government ignored.0:39Demonstrations turned deadly when two0:41protesters were killed in Nanyuki during0:43clashes over the facility. The Katiba0:45Institute, a legal advocacy group0:47leading the court challenge, says it is0:49now investigating reports that seven0:51patients are already being quarantined0:52at the base in direct defiance of the0:54court order. Katiba Institute's0:56executive director Nora Bayati condemned0:59the government's actions, calling the1:00defiance a direct assault on the rule of1:02law. Health Minister Aden Duale was1:04already found in contempt for failing to1:06halt construction and now the institute1:08says it is gathering evidence of1:09patients being held at the facility.1:11President William Ruto defends the1:13facility as part of a health partnership1:15with the United States, arguing it1:17strengthens Kenya's ability to respond1:18to Ebola. Meanwhile, the government is1:21planning 24 additional Ebola1:23preparedness centers nationwide, raising1:25questions about whether local1:26communities will have any say in their1:28placement.1:29The Law Society of Kenya has also1:31weighed in, warning that ignoring court1:33orders sets a dangerous precedent for1:35democratic governance. With the Katiba1:37Institute pressing for enforcement and1:39seven patients reportedly already inside1:41the disputed facility, the standoff1:43between the Kenyan government and the1:44judiciary is far from over.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗