Kenyan police shot and killed two demonstrators on Wednesday during violent protests against the construction of an American-funded Ebola treatment centre in the country's coastal region, according to three officials who confirmed the deaths to reporters in Nairobi.
The unrest erupted in Mombasa's Changamwe district, where residents blocked machinery from entering the site for what the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described as a regional preparedness facility. Officers moved in after crowds refused to disperse, authorities said.
Violent Confrontation at the Construction Site
Security forces arrived at the facility around 07:30 local time after a group of roughly 200 residents gathered overnight, burning tyres and hurling stones at security personnel. Police Inspector General Japhet Koome confirmed two people died at the scene while at least twelve others sustained injuries.
Witnesses described seeing officers open fire as the crowd pushed through barricades near the Kilindini waterfront area. "We were just protecting our neighbourhood from an American quarantine camp," said Amina Omar, a 34-year-old vendor who lives 300 metres from the site. "Now they are killing us for asking questions."
Why Residents Oppose the Facility
The CDC announced the partnership with Kenya's Ministry of Health in February, pledging $8.2 million to establish a treatment and research unit near Mombasa's port. Officials said the centre would serve as East Africa's first-line defence against Ebola outbreaks spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Local councillors argued residents received no consultation before construction began. Omar Bonga, the Changamwe ward representative, said he submitted objections to the Ministry of Health six weeks ago. "They ignored us completely," he told the Nation newspaper. "This land was promised for a school. Nobody asked the community."
Sovereignty and Health Colonialism Fears
Opposition politicians have framed the project as another example of Western powers controlling Kenyan territory. Senator Ledama Olekina wrote on social media that the facility amounts to "a foreign quarantine zone on Kenyan soil." His remarks drew thousands of shares, reflecting broader anxiety about national sovereignty in health infrastructure deals.
The African Union's health desk has previously warned that unilateral foreign-funded treatment centres can undermine trust between governments and local populations, particularly when community engagement is absent.
Government Defends the Project
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha defended the initiative at a press briefing in Nairobi, calling the centre essential for regional health security. "Ebola does not respect borders," she said. "We cannot wait for an outbreak to reach Kenya before building capacity."
The Ministry of Health reported that Kenya has not recorded a single Ebola case since 2014, when officials managed a suspected outbreak in the same coastal region. Nakhumicha confirmed the project would employ 150 Kenyan health workers and operate under joint Kenyan-American management.
Diplomatic Fallout and What Comes Next
The US Embassy in Nairobi declined to comment beyond confirming it was "monitoring the situation closely." American officials have not indicated whether construction will pause while authorities investigate the deaths.
Human rights organisations have called for an independent inquiry. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said it was sending a team to Mombasa on Thursday to document evidence from witnesses and survivors.
The project still requires an environmental impact assessment approval from the National Environment Management Authority, a process that could take up to 90 days. Whether that timeline holds after the violence remains uncertain.
Senator Ledama Olekina wrote on social media that the facility amounts to "a foreign quarantine zone on Kenyan soil." His remarks drew thousands of shares, reflecting broader anxiety about national sovereignty in health infrastructure deals. Diplomatic Fallout and What Comes Next The US Embassy in Nairobi declined to comment beyond confirming it was "monitoring the situation closely." American officials have not indicated whether construction will pause while authorities investigate the deaths.
