Kenyan police fire tear gas at protest against US Ebola quarantine centre plan

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Kenyan police fire tear gas at protest against US Ebola quarantine centre plan21 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleBasillioh RukangaNairobiAFP via Getty ImagesProtesters say there is a lack of transparency over the building of the quarantine centrePolice in Kenya have fired tear gas to break up a protest in the central town of Nanyuki against the construction of an Ebola quarantine centre for US citizens. Small groups of demonstrators, who were waving Kenyan flags, carrying placards and holding a coffin with the word "Ebola" written on the side, were demanding the plan be reversed. Last week, two people died after being shot as police dispersed similar protests.

The US plan has sparked public concern about cross-border infection risks and the lack of transparency from the government about the treatment centre. Last month, the High Court said the opening of the facility should be halted after a rights group opened a case alleging it posed "grave and imminent risks" to public health. Protester Priscilla Imani told the news agency that the US plan has affected Nanyuki and the wider Laikipia county with people being afraid to visit.

The Details

"My message is this, Laikipia is not a dumping site and our voices must be heard," she said. The proposed 50-bed isolation centre is to be staffed by US medics and is intended to treat Americans affected by the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A US official told the that Kenya was selected due to "proximity, airports in the region having limited capability, and to ensure Americans can be treated in a timely manner".

The Congolese city of Bunia, the epicentre of the outbreak, is 780km (485 miles) from Nanyuki, with Uganda separating DR Congo and Kenya. DR Congo has so far recorded 608 confirmed Ebola cases and 102 deaths. Kenya has not recorded any cases.

President William Ruto defended the plan saying he had received a request from the US to establish the centre and a refusal would be "inhuman". He called on Kenyans not to politicise a matter "so serious" as Ebola, asking politicians to avoid "reckless" talk about it. Satellite imagery seen by the show that construction has continued at the airbase despite the court halting it.

What Experts Say

The US official last week said the administration was aware of the court case but "optimistic we can resolve objections". You may also be interested in:What is Ebola and why is stopping the latest outbreak so difficult? How health workers in DR Congo are treating Ebola and staying safe'Speed, money and compassion' - lessons from an Ebola survivor and other expertsGetty Images/BBCGo to BBCAfrica.

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The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.