Kenya: State sued over planned nuclear power plant

By Lucianne Limo | The Standard | May 15, 2013


The Government’s bid to establish a nuclear power plant in the country is facing a hurdle.

Dr Joseph Kitur, a researcher, wants the court to order the Nuclear Electricity Project Committee to suspend the ongoing feasibility study of nuclear energy production pending the determination of his case.

Kitur argues that the project is not properly informed, ill-timed and wants the court to declare that due to the grave risk of nuclear disaster and environmental impacts of nuclear power production, Kenya should instead pursue clean, safe and renewable sources of energy.

The petitioner, a regional manager for Livestock Institution in Africa noted that the Government is in the process of carrying out a feasibility and self-assessment study for nuclear power production in the country without fully acknowledging greater risks involved in nuclear energy.

He further alleged that the public did not understand the working scope of the committee set up to oversee the project.

In 2010, the Energy ministry unveiled a 13-member committee, chaired by Ochillo Ayacko to drive the nuclear electricity generation agenda in the country.

The committee was mandated to identify a site to set up the nuclear power station, as well as prepare and oversee implementation of a roadmap for the launch of nuclear power plant.

Ministry budget

The ministry set aside Sh300 million to start off the nuclear electricity project.

Consequently, in April this year, a group of 11 Kenyan students began training in a South Korean nuclear graduate school.

The students were picked from various parastatals in the Ministry of Energy and are undertaking postgraduate studies in Nuclear Science at the Korea Electric Power Corporation training school.

In a replying affidavit, Ayacko defended his team saying they are carrying out a pre-feasibility study meant to inform it whether to proceed with the project or not.

The decision to carry out a nuclear power project, he said, has not been made, saying the petitioner cannot purport to seek redress for a decision not yet made.

He said the project is necessary considering the rapidly increasing cost of electricity for industrial, commercial and household use.

“The petitioner’s apprehension of dangers resulting from radiation is farfetched, unfounded and moot,”Ayacko said.

Justice David Majanja directed the parties to exchange submissions within 14 days and the case will be mentioned on June 6.

>Wa-Kenya mnavitafuta vikwazo kutoka USA kwa ghalama zenu?

Ni jambo jema.

Nuclear mbona nchi nyingi sana zinatumia? Kwa iran USA anataka nuclear iruyubishiwe either Urusi au hata kwingineko na Iran ipelekewe mafuta tu. Ishu iko kwenye urutubishaji ambapo kuna kiwango kikifika basi unaweza unda bomu.ila kuunda bomu si swala la kitoto hata kidogo

Talking of ill-timed, this has been the sole reason for the success of most developed economies. Africa is lagging behind in terms of development and one talks of the nuclear project as ill-timed. The leaders that we have are corrupted with aid agreements from the world bank and other institutions, that have watched as funds to drive youth initiatives diverted to finance high cost campaigns. Whyaren't these petitioners (researchers) striving to challenge such incidences. The question should be how well nuclear energy can be produced without risks involved which has succesfully been done. All independent nations must pursue all options of energy production available to them whether financial institutions want or not.

K.G.B said:

Talking of ill-timed, this has been the sole reason for the success of most developed economies. Africa is lagging behind in terms of development and one talks of the nuclear project as ill-timed. The leaders that we have are corrupted with aid agreements from the world bank and other institutions, that have watched as funds to drive youth initiatives diverted to finance high cost campaigns. Whyaren't these petitioners (researchers) striving to challenge such incidences. The question should be how well nuclear energy can be produced without risks involved which has succesfully been done. All independent nations must pursue all options of energy production available to them whether financial institutions want or not.

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Its very disheartening to hear something like this from Dr!! Sometime you wonder such kind of people represent whose interest. If Africa need to develop, this kind people should be ignored completely.

sam2000 said:

Its very disheartening to hear something like this from Dr!! Sometime you wonder such kind of people represent whose interest. If Africa need to develop, this kind people should be ignored completely.

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These are hired pseudo scientists and underlings of the political class, that run most of the dirty work for them.

sam2000 said:

Its very disheartening to hear something like this from Dr!! Sometime you wonder such kind of people represent whose interest. If Africa need to develop, this kind people should be ignored completely.

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Some people just want to be noticed. Bure kabisa eti Dr Kitur?

I am very much in agreement with the lawsuit. Currently Kenya is very unprepared to put up a nuclear power plant as any accidents would be the end of the Kenyan economy.
Imagine if a nuclear accident was to happen somewhere at the coast where the plant is to be located. we would have to do away with the entire province. There would be contamination of both the athi river and tana river, our entire wildlife would be useless as who would visit a radioactive wasteland our ports would also be useless as anything coming in would be exposed to radioactivity depending on the dispersal radius of radioactive contaminants, tanzania would also be affected as the radioactive could resulting from a nuclear meltdown or radioactive leak would also affect them. A nuclear disaster on the kenyan coast would be catastrophic for the entire region. The chernobyl disaster in Ukraine (former USSR) affected Belarus most as more than 55% of the fallout landed there. An entire city was abandoned surely can Kenya afford to loose a town let alone a city.

when it comes to planning plan for the worst. Did you know that of the 99 nuclear disasters recorded 56 are from the USA. If the have had such stuff happening to them sembuse Kenya. we are not ready, we should try other means first then after about 25yrs if we still haven't attained the reqiuired power output, risk building a nuclear power plant when we have enough technical know how. Why not wait for our oil so that we can have cheaper thermal electricity.If a Disaster occurred we would have to write off the entire coastal area and who would want to buy products from kenya as they would be deemed contaminated even if they were not.What about the radioactive waste considering kenyas tribal dynamic who would want the waste buried in their land as each tribe will violently refuse radioactive waste buried on community land. We all know there is nothing like government land since 2010.

We only think about the good never about the bad. The Saudis have an installed capacity of over 52Gw of that is almost 30 times Kenya's installed capacity. This is without Nuclear power but with oil. why cant we do the same thing in future. I support the lawsuit at the moment maybe in time it may be a good idea to invest in a nuclear plant.

The one who is opposing this nuclear power plant plan is so consumed with negativity than the positive. every progress must have some risks. and those who want changes must take some calculated risks. i think the project should go on.

Koborer said:

Some people just want to be noticed. Bure kabisa eti Dr Kitur?

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I think this guy must be in the payroll of some big guys somewhere who want the country to continue depending on high cost thermal fuels because thats how they make their money!