Power: It’s time to go nuclear, but we must do it right

• The world is increasingly turning to nuclear power, what is in doubt however is Kenya’s capacity to operate a nuclear programme in view of the safety concerns associated with the reactors

He proposes that initially the first nuclear plant be state-owned owing to the project’s sensitivity and located “in the vast desert in North Eastern Province, which is sparsely populated” because of the safety concerns associated with nuclear fuel as well as waste handling, storage and safety.

He further proposes that , as a prerequisite to going nuclear, the country must acquire a research and training reactor to facilitate capacity building in nuclear science knowledge with the help of the IAEA.

The Institute of Nuclear Science of the University of Nairobi, he suggests, should be a full-fledged university.

He adds that the country needs “a pool of highly trained nuclear scientists and engineers to constitute the core human capital.”

The thesis is a ready-made blueprint with a proposed legal and institutional framework for the country to go nuclear.

Mr Kabage provides a draft for the Atomic Energy Act, which includes provision for a regulatory commission, a national secretariat and other safeguards.

Thus, if Kenya is to go nuclear, it must carry out the best practices and do it right.

gigirimwaura@yahoo.com