Spirits of empire: The isolation and colonialism of Laikipia | News about Ebola

Nairobi, Kenya – The death of a 17-year-old schoolboy during protests against US Ebola quarantines has turned the health service into one of Kenya’s most controversial political issues this year.

Three people have now been killed, a court case has halted construction, and the 50-bed facility at Laikipia airport in Nanyuki has sparked a fierce debate over public participation, autonomy and foreign influence.

But in Laikipia, anger runs even faster than the events of the past few weeks.

The facility, which aims to house American citizens who may have contracted Ebola during outbreaks in East and Central Africa, has reopened long-standing grievances in a government whose legacy of British colonial rule has not been settled. For many people, the debate is not just about disease or public health. It’s about land, power and history that hasn’t faded.

Laikipia has a special place in Kenya’s colonial history. Large areas of the region became part of the White Highlands, where some of the most fertile land was reserved for European settlement. More than 60 years after the country’s independence, descendants of refugee families continue to own large farms and ranches, while disputes over land ownership and historical injustices have not resolved.

As protests against the detention center have intensified, the grievances have resurfaced, revealing how questions raised more than a century ago continue to shape foreign access to Kenya today.

The conflict is not unusual.

In May 2021, Italian conservationist and writer Kuki Gallmann was shot by cattle rustlers while driving the land he lives in Laikipia County.

The 40,500-hectare (100,000-acre) Gallmann farm is one of the largest and most controversial properties in the area.

At the time of the attack, Kenya was experiencing a severe drought that forced the herdsmen to travel far from their pastures in search of pasture and water for their livestock.

Gallmann’s place had it all.

But like many large farms and zoos in Laikipia, it was impossible for the herdsmen whose animals were dying as the pastures ran out. The result was a bitter dispute that also revealed unresolved disputes over land ownership in the state.

This isn’t the first time Gallmann or other large landowners have come under scrutiny for weed-related disputes. While Gallmann survived the shooting, other ranchers have been killed in various incidents over the years.

For many people, these conflicts are symptoms of a deeper conflict.

The debate over solitary confinement has opened up many of the same questions.

History of colonial land dispossession

Before colonial rule, Laikipia was home to the Amasai, Samburu and other pastoralists who roamed the vast pastoral areas.

The roots of today’s conflicts go back to the early years of British colonial rule.

When Kenya became a British protectorate in 1895, the colonial authorities took over the land. The following laws gave the rulers full power to allocate territories to European settlers.

Large parts of Laikipia were included in what became known as the White Highlands, a tract that contained the most fertile land in Kenya for European settlement.

Historians trace many of the grievances that still exist to this day to the Amasai treaties of 1904 and 1911, which facilitated the migration of the Amasai from the Laikipia and Great Rift Valley areas as colonialism developed.

Other constituencies designated as white are parts of Mount Kenya region, Uasin Gishu, Naivasha, Nakuru, Kericho, Trans Nzoia and Mount Elgon.

Over time, millions of acres were transferred to colonial ownership as African colonies found themselves being dispossessed or overgrazed.

According to David Kyule, a professor of History and Archeology at the University of Nairobi, the presence of settled families in Laikipia for a long time continues to shape local perceptions of foreign involvement in the region.

“There is a re-inforcement of the idea that Kenya’s territory is still there to meet foreign goals. Whenever the British don’t want things in their country, they send them to African countries. This is what the US is doing,” Kyule told Al Jazeera.

Isolation, according to him, is seen by some residents through past experiences with foreign countries.

The continued presence of British troops in Laikipia was also a point of contention for many years.

Some residents and activists say the presence of foreign troops reinforces the notion that decisions affecting the region are often based on local interests.

A question of authority

The expansion of the United States in Kenya has raised concerns among some in recent years.

For many years, Britain remained the most visible military force in Kenya. In recent years, the US has expanded its security cooperation in the region, including operations in northern Kenya and in Manda Bay in Lamu County.

In light of this, the proposed detention center has become a lightning rod for information about foreign control and influence.

U.S. officials say the center aims to strengthen preparedness for future Ebola outbreaks and provide a control center to monitor American citizens who may be infected with the disease.

Kenya’s role as a regional and transport hub, combined with security and existing ties with Washington, has been cited as a key reason for choosing the country.

Supporters are describing the project as a social investment.

Critics remain unsatisfied.

Appearing before the Kenyan Parliament on June 3, Health Secretary Aden Duale defended the government’s decision to continue the project.

“Under the Public Health Act, we don’t need public participation, we don’t ask citizens, even when MPs get sick, they run to the doctor to get proper treatment. This epidemic doesn’t need to be discussed,” said Duale.

The statement sparked outrage among opponents of the project, many of whom argue that the law’s requirement for public participation cannot be waived.

Kelvin Kubai, a representative of the Supreme Court of Kenya, told Al Jazeera that Articles 10 and 118 of the Constitution establish that public participation is an important factor of the country that should guide major government decisions.

According to Kubai, the concerns about the place cannot be separated from the history of Laikipia.

“In short, once bitten, twice embarrassed. The current agreement is similar to the Maasai agreements of 1904 and 1911, which, ignoring the participation of the people, handed over the rich pastures of Laikipia to foreign interests, a mistake that the people of Laikipia do not want to repeat,” he said.

Why Kenya and why?

Questions have also been raised about why Kenya was chosen to host a facility that critics say will serve American citizens and not be available for use by Kenyans in the event of unrest.

Some advocates and local leaders have questioned whether concerns about the health of individuals explain the urgency about the project.

Recent reports suggest that Washington’s Ebola response is taking place against major political challenges, particularly in Africa, where the US and China want to expand their influence.

Some experts say the facility could also help boost Washington’s presence in East Africa at a time of heightened competition.

US officials reject the idea that the project does anything more than prepare for public health.

Residents near the Laikipia airbase are still in doubt.

Marlin Ndegwa, a community leader in Nanyuki, told Al Jazeera that people are still searching for answers as to why the project is being used despite the opposition.

According to Ndegwa, many people see the conflict as a result of long-standing grievances over land ownership and foreign involvement in the state.

This question has become more important as the conflict escalates.

Three people have now been killed in separate protests against the site.

If you are 17 years old, you have to go to school to wear a school uniform, and you have to go to school.

His death has become a symbol of how the disaster preparedness project revealed deep and unanswered questions about Kenya’s colonialism.

More than 100 years after colonial authorities changed the landscape of Laikipia, disputes over land, independence and foreign influence continue to reshape the region’s future.

According to what Kyule said, these questions were the cause of the conflict.

“One wonders,” he said. “Is it because you can’t say ‘no’ or because our authority has been violated?”