Kenya president defends US Ebola facility amid protests

Key facts

• Kenyan President William Ruto defended the decision to allow the US to build an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya.
• The US government is continuing construction of the 50-bed facility at Laikipia Air Base.
• Protests against the facility have resulted in at least two deaths.
• A Kenyan court had previously issued orders blocking the project.
• The facility is intended for Americans potentially exposed to the Ebola virus.

Kenyan President William Ruto has defended his government's decision to allow the United States to establish an Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya, calling it the 'right thing' to do. He stated that refusing such a request from Americans, who would bear the cost, would be 'most unfortunate' and 'inhuman'. The US government is proceeding with the construction of the 50-bed facility at Laikipia Air Base, despite ongoing protests and prior Kenyan court orders that had aimed to halt the project. At least two people were killed earlier in the week during protests in the nearby town of Nanyuki. The facility is primarily intended for Americans who might be exposed to the Ebola virus. The U.S. embassy in Nairobi has indicated it is collaborating with the Kenyan government to address any objections. The Ebola outbreak has affected hundreds in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread to neighboring Uganda.