• Protests erupted in Nanyuki against a US Ebola quarantine facility for American citizens.
• The High Court of Kenya temporarily suspended the facility's establishment.
• Local leaders express concern over exposure to the virus amidst an ongoing outbreak in the region.

Hundreds of youths in Kenya's central town of Nanyuki protested on Monday against the proposed establishment of an Ebola quarantine center at the Laikipia Air Base, aimed at housing American citizens exposed to the virus while abroad. The protests occurred shortly after the Kenyan High Court suspended the plans pending further hearings initiated by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog, citing the country’s fragile health system as a major concern, according to South China Morning Post, Africanews, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters.

U.S. officials have indicated that they plan to use the facility to quarantine Americans exposed to Ebola, stating it would operate with 50 beds. Health Minister Aden Duale emphasized that the center is intended for “everyone,” not only U.S. nationals, but local resistance remains strong. "This will expose our people to Ebola," cautioned Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu, noting local proximity to the airbase, according to South China Morning Post and Africanews.

The protests reflect deep-seated fears among residents that the quarantine center could increase the risk of Ebola spreading in a country that has yet to report any confirmed cases, while neighboring Uganda announced nine cases and Congo reported at least 282 confirmed cases of the disease. Protestors are calling for a complete halt to the facility's establishment, with statements from local residents asserting that bringing the facility to Kenya would endanger public health, according to Los Angeles Times and Reuters.