An area has been set aside in Kenya’s southern county of Kilifi for the construction of the country’s first nuclear facility. The project on the coast of the Indian Ocean is expected to be fully operational by 2034.
But it has faced fierce opposition.
On Friday (Oct. 11), a group of activists and environmentalists took to the streets, chanting slogans and holding signs. “We say that this project has a lot of negative effects,” declared Francis Auma, a human rights activist. “There will be malformed children born out of this place, fish will die, and our forest Arabuko Sokoke, which is known to harbor birds from abroad, will be lost.”
The project comes with an estimated budget of 500 billion Kenyan shillings ($3.9 billion).
“The plant is expected to generate 1,000 megawatts of power,” noted a spokesperson for the government. “This is part of Kenya’s long-term strategy to reduce its reliance on hydroelectric and fossil fuel energy sources.”
“Five hundred billion can generate more than two thousand megawatts,” questioned the Executive Director of the Centre for Justice, Governance, and Environmental Action. “Why are we using it to generate only a thousand for just sixty years? We have renewables that can last a lifetime for generations to come.”
The director added, “We are here to oppose this project. We do not want the Kilifi County Government to be loaded with the burden of dealing with nuclear waste.”
Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency has repeatedly dismissed claims by residents and environmentalists that the proposed nuclear power plant will cause any harm to the community. “Our assessments show no risk to local residents,” an agency spokesperson stated, despite opposition from local communities and environmental groups.
Concerns have also been raised about the transparency of the decision-making process. “Local residents have not been adequately informed or involved,” one concerned resident noted.
Residents of Uyombo, many of whom rely on fishing and tourism for their livelihoods, expressed their fears about the environmental and health impacts of the plant. “I have been a fisherman for twenty years,” said local fisherman Timothy. “I survive by fishing, and if they erect a nuclear plant here, the breeding sites for fish will all be destroyed and won’t exist.”
The Nuclear Power and Energy Agency has issued statements in the past, assuring the public that they will ensure the safety and security of people and the environment before construction begins in 2027. “Our commitment is to the well-being of all Kenyans,” the agency emphasized in a recent statement.
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