Nanyuki residents protest US-backed Ebola facility at Laikipia Air Base, police use teargas
via Tuko2 min read
Fresh protests erupted in Nanyuki as residents opposed a planned US-backed Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base. Police deployed heavily, using teargas to disperse demonstrators, and businesses in the town were shut. This project has been a source of tension since earlier protests this month, which resulted in two deaths and numerous arrests. The proposed 50-bed facility, costing approximately KSh 1.68 billion, is intended to isolate American citizens exposed to Ebola in Africa, following outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Public anger escalated after claims that US military aircraft landed at the air base despite a court order temporarily halting the project. On May 29, the High Court suspended the facility pending a full hearing and directed the government to release related documents. The US Embassy in Nairobi issued a security advisory for American citizens in Laikipia, warning of planned protests in Nanyuki and potential additional demonstrations.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Tuko.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations DCI Anti-Narcotics Unit arrested four individuals, including two foreign nationals, during an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected drug trafficking in Nairobi. The raid at Denluck Apartment led to the apprehension of Gabriel Moses Mathai, 26, Gerald Otieno, 28, Danilo Pejevic, a 25-year-old Serbian national, and Lukundo Samuel Sikombe, a 25-year-old Tanzanian female national. Officers recovered suspected bhang, including green plant material, along with items believed to be used in the processing, packaging, and distribution of narcotics, such as a weighing scale, scissors, lighters, Rizla rolling papers, a crusher, rolling materials, and small envelopes. The suspects are currently held at Muthaiga Police Station, and all recovered exhibits have been transferred to DCI Headquarters for documentation, safe storage, and forensic analysis as investigations continue. The DCI reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking and substance abuse, urging public cooperation in providing information for ongoing operations.
The National Gender and Equality Commission NGEC has condemned the death of Kenya Medical Training College KMTC student Eugene Mutuku, who allegedly died after being ejected from a moving matatu. The commission stated that the act violated Mutuku's constitutional rights to life, dignity, and security of the person. Dashcam footage of the incident, which allegedly showed Mutuku being thrown from the moving vehicle, sparked public outrage. NGEC highlighted that such incidents are not isolated, indicating a systemic issue within the transport sector. The commission emphasized that compromised public transport safety disproportionately affects vulnerable groups. NGEC is calling for urgent and transparent investigations by authorities, including the National Transport and Safety Authority NTSA and the National Police Service NPS, and for reforms to strengthen passenger protection and crew conduct standards. Post-mortem results indicated Mutuku died from being hit by a blunt object. Two directors of Nicco Matatu Sacco have been arrested and released on bond, while the driver and conductor remain at large. Mutuku was a final-year student at KMTC Yata and had recently started an attachment in Kasarani.
Must ReadThe High Court has upheld the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua, while simultaneously ruling that his constitutional rights were violated during the Senate proceedings. The court awarded Gachagua KSh 50 million in compensation, to be paid by the Senate, but did not overturn the impeachment. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Gachagua's successor, responded to the ruling by stating, "It's okay." However, Gachagua's legal team expressed strong dissatisfaction with the decision, with lawyer Ndegwa Njiru calling it "judicial nonsense" and confirming plans to appeal to the Court of Appeal. Another lawyer, Dan Maanzo, argued that the court should have annulled the impeachment and reinstated Gachagua.