PBI-Kenya amplifies concerns about a proposed nuclear power plant in the coastal village of Uyombo, Kilifi

Published by Brent Patterson on

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Photo: Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI).

PBI-Kenya has posted:

“The proposed nuclear power plant in Uyombo, Kilifi County has sparked significant concerns from many including @CJGEA [Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action-Kenya] & @RepInitiative [Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples]. Uyombo, a small village, is seen as an ideal site due to its proximity to water and low population. But do the benefits outweigh the risks?”

Video (Aljazeera, June 9, 2024).

The tweets from PBI-Kenya continue:

Environmental activist and 2023 Right Livelihoods Award winner Phyllis Omido spoke to Al Jazeera. She brings up important points to consider  in the video above, some listed below;

The proposed plant threatens the biodiversity of Uyombo, bordering the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and home to coral reefs, mangroves, and endangered species. The thermal pollution from the plant could severely disrupt these sensitive ecosystems.

NuPEA  [the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency] has not conducted adequate risk and health impact assessments for the proposed site. Without these assessments, the safety and well-being of the Uyombo community are at serious risk.

Without a radioactive waste management policy, Kenya is unprepared to handle the long-term environmental and health risks posed by nuclear waste. This endangers not just Uyombo but the entire country.

Past failures, like the Owino-Uhuru lead contamination [by a lead-acid batteries recycling smelter in Owino Uhuru slum in the coastal city Mombasa, that killed workers, poisoned residents, and polluted the community], highlight the risks of proceeding without a clear framework to manage potential nuclear disasters.

“Kana nuclear!”

On June 17, The Guardian reported:

The proposals have sparked fierce opposition in Kilifi. In a building by Mida Creek, a swampy bayou known for its birdlife and mangrove forests, more than a dozen conservation and rights groups meet regularly to discuss the proposed plant.

“Kana nuclear!” Phyllis Omido, an award-winning environmentalist who is leading the protests, tells one such meeting. The Swahili slogan means “reject nuclear”, and encompasses the acronym for the Kenya Anti-Nuclear Alliance who say the plant will deepen Kenya’s debt and are calling for broader public awareness of the cost. Construction on the power station is expected to start in 2027, with it due to be operational in 2034.

Government officials believe nuclear could be the “gamechanger” and argue that it has become “indispensable” to tackling carbon emissions in the face of the climate crisis, pointing to pledges by nearly two dozen countries, including Britain and the US, to triple their own nuclear power.

Police violence against environmental defenders

The Guardian also notes: “Tensions between anti-nuclear activists and the government are growing. The UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed concern [in this tweet] over police violence against people in Uyombo, a potential plant site, during a protest [on May 21]. Activists said their peaceful protest was met with excessive violence, beatings, arrests and intimidation.”

Photo: Center for Justice GEA.

Right Livelihood further explains: “Police in Uyombo, Kenya, fired 137 live rounds and 70 tear gas canisters near a group of peaceful protestors and arrested two environmental defenders on Tuesday, May 21… Omido, who is at the forefront of efforts to stop the dangerous project and is currently abroad, fears arrest upon her return to Kenya.”

Their article adds: “Protests broke out on Tuesday after work began on the construction of the nuclear reactor. The day before, NuPEA officials installed a seismic station at a secondary school in the village without informing the community. When a woman questioned officials over the move, she was brutalised by police.”

Foreign involvement

Power Engineering International notes: “The government plans to follow in South Korea’s footsteps by targeting 95% of its construction vendors from foreign sources.”

The World Nuclear Association has also explained: “Emerging countries generally do not have the expertise for [licensing reactor designs], and must initially rely on design licensing by countries such as the UK, USA, France, Russia and China while they focus on building competence to license the actual operation of plants.”

That article suggests the involvement at various points in time China General Nuclear Power (CGN), the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom), France, and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

Sources of uranium

The Guardian has noted: “The use of nuclear power would make Kenya dependent on imported uranium, used to generate nuclear fuel.”

The World Nuclear Association also says: “In 2022 Kazakhstan produced the largest share of uranium from mines (43% of world supply), followed by Canada (15%) and Namibia (11%).” Most of Canada’s reserves are located in the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan. Russia produces about 5-8% of the world’s supply. It’s not clear from published sources where Kenya’s nuclear power plants would receive uranium.

We continue to follow this situation.


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