PBI-Kenya expresses solidarity with Uyombo village brutalized by police for opposing a nuclear power plant
PBI-Kenya has posted two short video clips along with this text: “We are in Kilifi County in solidarity with the residents of Uyombo village who were brutalized by @NPSOfficial_KE [National Police Service-Kenya] while fighting against the proposed building of a nuclear power plant in their village.”
On July 3, PBI-Kenya also posted: “We met survivors of police brutality from the anti-nuclear plant protest in Uyombo. They shared heartbreaking stories of how @NPSOfficial_KE metre’s violence against them as they sought to be heard. We urge the govt to heed their calls and @IPOA_KE [the Independent Policing Oversight Authority] to investigate the incident.”
And in a series of tweets posted on June 8, PBI-Kenya highlighted:
“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? Environmental activist and 2023 Right Livelihoods Award winner Phyllis Omido spoke to Al Jazeera. She brings up important points to consider… 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, highlight the risks of proceeding without a clear framework to manage potential nuclear disasters. Kenya has not ratified the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, increasing the risk of nuclear weaponry development. The by-products of nuclear reactors could potentially be used to create weapons, causing regional instability.”
Background
The Guardian has reported: “The proposals [for nuclear power plants in Kenya] 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.”
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.”
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.”
Construction on the nuclear power plant in Uyombo is expected to start in 2027 with it due to be operational in 2034.
We continue to follow this situation.
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