Hundreds of young people in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki rallied on Monday against plans to establish an Ebola quarantine center for US citizens at the nearby Laikipia Air Base, fearing the virus could spread to the local population.

The protests came two days after Kenya’s High Court suspended the facility’s setup and the arrival of any foreign patients, following a petition by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog group, which argue the country’s fragile healthcare system cannot handle Ebola cases.

US officials had announced plans to quarantine Americans exposed to Ebola abroad at the new facility, which was to have 50 beds and become operational by Friday. The US government pledged $13.5 million for Kenya’s Ebola preparedness.

Health Minister Aden Duale claimed the center was for “everyone,” not just US nationals, but local leaders including Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu opposed it, saying locals working at the base could be exposed.

Kenya has reported no Ebola cases, but neighboring Uganda has nine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo has 263 confirmed cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists.

Source: www.aljazeera.com