Anti-nuclear protests in Kilifi county in October 2024 / BRIAN OTIENO
Anti-nuclear activists on Thursday said they will not relent in their opposition to the proposed Sh1 trillion nuclear plant planned for Siaya County.
The activists, under the umbrella of the Kenya Anti-Nuclear Alliance (Kana), reiterated their opposition to the proposed project, saying the government should not proceed without adequately addressing residents' concerns.
“They tried to force it on Uyombo residents in Matsangoni, Kilifi county, but we stood firm and they eventually abandoned their initial plan. Now they want to force it on Siaya residents,” the Kana activists told the Star.
The activists said the government should listen to residents' views and respect their opinions.
A public participation meeting on the proposed project held on July 23 was organised by local authorities and attended by senior government officials, including representatives from the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), senior police officers and Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda.
Some residents raised concerns over land acquisition, potential radiation hazards, the threat to local fishing livelihoods and what they described as "opaque consultations" surrounding the proposed project.
Government officials, including those from NuPEA, maintained they are open to suggestions, insisting they welcome all opinions as public feedback is an essential part of the project development process.
NuPEA has sought to address public concerns, defending the project's safety, environmental safeguards and financing.
“The country has little to worry about because advances in nuclear technology have addressed many of the risks associated with older nuclear plants,” NuPEA CEO Justus Wabuyabo told senators on Thursday.
“In regard to safety, security and safeguards for a nuclear power plant, these are paramount. No vendor country and no International Atomic Energy Agency would allow any country to proceed with any construction if it cannot demonstrate that these measures have been put in place,” he said.
Wabuyabo said there can never be a mitumba nuclear plant like the mitumba clothes and cars brought into the country.
He said no construction will begin before environmental and social impact assessments are completed.
The recent developments in Siaya are part of a longer national conversation on Kenya's nuclear energy ambitions.
For years, communities in Kilifi raised concerns over the proposed establishment of a nuclear power plant in their region.
In late March 2026, during the International Conference on Nuclear Energy (ICoNE) held in Nairobi, President William Ruto announced that Kenya's first nuclear power plant would be established in Siaya, replacing Kilifi as the proposed host location.
Following the announcement, communities in Siaya began raising concerns similar to those previously expressed in Kilifi.
In April this year, some residents launched a petition challenging the proposed project, collecting more than 400 signatures before submitting it to NuPEA and the Siaya county government.
The petition highlighted concerns over the potential contamination of Lake Victoria, impacts on fishing livelihoods, possible displacement, radioactive waste management, long-term environmental and health risks, and whether communities had been adequately involved in decision-making processes.
In response, NuPEA announced plans to undertake what it described as a robust, transparent and multi-layered public education campaign to address community concerns.
However, some residents have continued to express concerns that public participation has not been sufficient and that community engagement has not met the standards they consider necessary for a project of such significant social, economic and environmental implications.
The anti-nuclear alliance urged the government, including NuPEA, KenGen and all relevant institutions, to restore trust with affected communities through transparent, accountable and inclusive engagement processes.
Kana said all decisions concerning the proposed nuclear project must be guided by meaningful public participation processes that provide communities with access to independent information, opportunities to ask questions, raise concerns and influence decisions that affect their lives.
The organisation said the government should adopt a community-centred, environmentally responsible and justice-oriented approach that ensures energy projects are developed with communities rather than merely implemented within them.
“The experiences of Kilifi and Siaya provide an important lesson for Kenya’s energy future: sustainable development cannot be achieved without public trust, democratic participation and respect for human rights,” Kana said.
