Residents of the Uyombo area of Kilifi County and an NGO, Natural Justice, have called on the government to halt nuclear plant establishment until completion of proper public engagement and completion of risk analysis.
According to Natural Justice, the proposed plant might pose potential risks to people, including health and environmental concerns potentially affecting daily activities like fishing.
Addressing journalists, during a consultative forum with the departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, at the Pride Inn Paradise Resort, Director, East Africa Hub of Natural Resources, Elizabeth Kariuki, noted that the project does not align with national policies in regards to climate adaptation and mitigation.
“In those policies, we speak about moving towards adjusting energy transition using renewable energy sources but nuclear energy is not a renewable energy source and therefore at some point will exhaust it, so we need to look into the deficit by looking at how else we can explore sustainable, renewable energies,” she said.
In addition, she expressed concern about the investment required to explore nuclear energy, terming it as costly, citing an amount totaling over Sh650 billion for a single plant.
“These costs will likely be passed on to consumers through higher electricity tariffs, deepening energy poverty and straining low-income households and small businesses,” Stated Kariuki.
However, chairperson for the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Vincent Musyoka, has urged the residents not to be misled by propaganda.
“I ask the people of Uyombo not to allow people from outside the country to spoil their minds on something that can potentially also change the economy of that area through access to cheaper power,” he said.
He further highlighted the lack of proper public participation as the leading issue, and called on the residents to provide room for public engagement and sensitization noting that nuclear power is necessary for cheap and stable power.
The proposed project that is set to sit on a 10km piece of land has left residents decrying the disruption of the settlement that will leave a big number homeless.
Musyoka however assured the community members of proper compensation in case of displacement.
“We need more land to keep people safe so that if anything was to happen then there is also a safety distance but these are details that must be discussed hence the need for public participation,” Noted Kariuki.
By Nuru Soud
