KENYAN President William Ruto has come under domestic fire from two sides as he struggled to keep a lid on growing protests against government policies.

Two people were reportedly shot dead in the central town of Nanyuki on Monday amid protests against plans to establish a US Ebola isolation centre at a nearby military base, according to the BBC.

The circumstances of the deaths are unclear and officials have not commented, although a police spokesman told the Reuters news agency that he was not aware of any deaths.

Mr Ruto defended the establishment of the quarantine facility, which a court order had already blocked.

He said the United States had a long-standing partnership with Kenya on health matters and that the quarantine facility at Laikipia air base was one of 24 that had been established in the event of an Ebola outbreak in the country.

Some Kenyans have opposed the Laikipia facility after the Washington said last week that no US Ebola patient would be allowed to return home, with patients instead being quarantined in the east African country. 

Today, the high court extended orders issued last Friday that have suspended the construction of the facility and the arrival of foreign patients. 

Mr Ruto said: “When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a centre at Laikipia air base, I gave the OK because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30-40 years.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of women marched in the capital Nairobi on Monday to demand that the government declare gender-based violence a national crisis.

Women’s organisations have cited the recent killing of a singer who was doused with petrol and set on fire as an example of what Kenyan women are facing.

The protesters walked under police escort through the streets of Nairobi carrying a coffin and holding placards saying: “Stop killing women.”

The demonstrators also sought to raise awareness of a reported recent rise in disappearances of children. Gender Minister Hannah Wendot called last week for prompt investigations into the disappearances.

The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya says it receives about 70 gender-based violence cases every week at its three offices — in Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa and the lakeside city of Kisumu.

Lobby groups issued a 40-day ultimatum on May 21 for the government to declare a national crisis or face nationwide protests. However, they decided to start the protests sooner.