Environment Committee calls for more time to engage stakeholders on the plan to build a 500 billion nuclear plant in the country.

Environment Committee calls for more time to engage stakeholders on the plan to build a 500 billion nuclear plant in the country.

National Assembly, Bunge Tower.
Tuesday 11th March, 2025.

Members of the Departmental Committee on Environment Forestry and Mining have called for an extensive stakeholders’ engagement over proposed plans to have a Ksh 500 billion nuclear power plant in Uyombo, Kilifi County. 

The decision was unanimously accepted this morning in a sitting that saw some of the Committee members support the plan while others were opposed to it. 

Those who supported, Hon. Joseph Emathe (Turkana Central) and Hon. Titus Lotee (Kacheliba), argued that it was prudent for Kenya to have the project just like in other developed countries around the globe. 

"Let us not kill something that has been invented elsewhere and helped others, we only need to come up with a plan to fill the gaps in some of our observations, this is a national project involving taxpayers", Hon. Lotee. 

He pointed out observation number eight of the report on the Committee's field visit to Uyombo Kilifi, which refers to the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) advisory report that highlights several critical gaps and weaknesses in the Strategic Environment and Social Assessment (SESA), suggesting that Kenya's nuclear power programme is not yet ready to adress the significant challenges and risks in presents. 

Hon. Mohammed Tubi who was among those opposed to the project agreed with Hon. Lote's observations in the report adding that at the moment Kenya was not ready for the project. Hon. Tubi further called on the Committee to stay candid in their opinion since the issue affects the life of Kenyans. 

Kilifi County lawmaker Hon. Gertrude Mbeyu who is also a member of the Committee called on her Hon. colleagues to respect the views of the people of Uyombo in Kilifi who are opposed to the project out of environmental concerns.

"Chair, this report is about Uyombo residents and not about global interests, let's respect what they told this Committee at the time of visit", she added. 

The Committee thereafter agreed on the need to invite the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Ministry of Energy, Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) who are in-charge of the project, Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) for further engagement before coming up with a report that shall be tabled before the National Assembly. 

The Session Chair Hon. Charles Kamuren (Baringo South) who is also the Committee Vice Chairperson called for patience as the Committee dives into further investigations on the viability of the project that will be the second in Africa is it will be actualised.