Two people were shot dead in the central Kenyan town of Nanyuki during protests against plans to establish a US-backed Ebola isolation centre at the nearby Laikipia Air Base, according to the BBC.

The deaths occurred as demonstrations intensified over a proposed 50-bed Ebola treatment facility intended to treat US citizens affected by the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

One of the victims was reportedly shot near the Laikipia Air Base during a protest and later died after being taken to hospital by friends. A second man was brought to the hospital already dead by soldiers, the broadcaster reported.

Authorities had not officially confirmed the deaths at the time of reporting, with a police spokesperson told Reuters he was unaware of any fatalities linked to the protests. The bodies appeared to have gunshot wounds.

As IntelliNews reported, on June 1, hundreds of demonstrators marched through Nanyuki, blocked roads and burned tyres as protests escalated over the proposed facility. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds near the military installation. Last month, Kenya’s High Court temporarily barred the government from approving any arrangement linked to the establishment of an Ebola quarantine centre in the country pending further legal review.

Community leader Patrick Wahome told the BBC one of the victims was shot while returning home after closing his business.

The planned isolation centre has triggered growing public concern in Kenya over potential cross-border Ebola transmission risks, despite the country not recording any confirmed Ebola cases.

Kenya’s High Court last week temporarily halted implementation of the project following a legal challenge filed by a rights group, which argued the facility posed “grave and imminent risks” to public health.

Speaking publicly on the issue for the first time, William Ruto defended the arrangement, saying Kenya had “deployed every arsenal” to protect the country against Ebola risks.

Ruto said the United States had requested Kenya’s support in managing the outbreak response and described the arrangement as part of a longstanding partnership between the two countries.

“When President Donald Trump asked Kenya to support them by having a centre in Laikipia Airbase I gave the ok because it was an agreement with friends who have walked with Kenya for 30, 40 years,” Ruto is quoted as saying.

The president also urged Kenyans not to politicise the Ebola issue and warned politicians against making what he described as “reckless” statements about the matter.