Board Member, Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), Francis Agar says so-called nuclear waste is largely reusable and valuable, challenging common misconceptions.
Agar argues that most spent fuel can be recycled or repurposed for energy and medical use. He also downplayed fears around nuclear accidents, saying modern designs are safer, as Kenya considers nuclear power in its long-term energy strategy.
Speaking on Tuesday in a Radio Generation interview, he said public perception of nuclear energy is often shaped by misconceptions, particularly around waste and safety risks.
“Same level as wind, okay, literally, the carbon emissions is more or less similar to wind,” he said, referring to nuclear energy’s environmental impact.
However, he acknowledged that concerns persist about radioactive waste, which is often seen as hazardous and long-lasting. Agar challenged this view, saying the term “waste” can be misleading.
“We actually call it spent nuclear fuel,” he said, explaining that it still contains “very, very useful components” with potential applications across multiple sectors.
He pointed to isotopes such as Actinium-225, which he described as “the most valuable substance because of its capacity in oncology, treating cancers.” According to Agar, materials once considered waste are increasingly being repurposed for high-value uses.
“You’d be surprised the applications it has and what we will be able to achieve if we start exporting this sort of waste,” he added.
Agar explained that a significant portion of spent nuclear fuel remains usable. “Ninety percent of nuclear waste is still useful. It’s a fuel,” he said, noting that advanced reactor technologies can reprocess such materials for further energy production.
His debate comes amid Kenya’s push to develop nuclear power that has evolved over more than a decade, marked by policy ambition, public debate and shifting timelines.
The debate began around 2010, when the government first announced plans to introduce nuclear energy as part of its long-term development strategy under Vision 2030.
Since then, the programme, now led by the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) has advanced through feasibility studies, regulatory development and public consultations, though it has faced strong opposition, particularly from coastal communities over environmental and safety concerns.
Current plans indicate construction of Kenya’s first nuclear power plant will begin between 2027 and 2029, depending on financing and regulatory approvals.
The plant is expected to be operational by 2034, aligning with government targets to diversify energy sources and meet rising electricity demand.
Kilifi County was the first location identified for Kenya’s proposed nuclear power plant, placing it at the centre of early national debate on atomic energy.
The coastal county was selected due to its access to seawater for cooling and available land. However, the plan faced strong resistance from local communities concerned about safety and environmental risks, prompting authorities to reconsider the site and intensify public participation efforts, which later directed the authorities to Siaya County.
Cost estimates vary, reflecting the scale and evolving design of the project. Official projections place the cost between Sh305 billion and Sh500 billion (approximately $2–5 billion), although some estimates suggest it could exceed Sh600 billion, making it one of Kenya’s most expensive infrastructure projects.
Construction is expected to take about seven years, meaning completion could occur around 2034 once ground is broken.
The initial plant is planned to generate about 1,000 megawatts of electricity, with long-term expansion potentially reaching significantly higher capacity.
In terms of employment, while precise figures remain fluid, NuPEA officials say the project will create thousands of jobs across construction, engineering and operations.
Beyond direct employment, the programme is also expected to stimulate skills development, local industry participation and infrastructure growth.
Despite these projections, the nuclear programme remains contested. Supporters argue it will offer stable, low-carbon baseload power critical for industrialisation, while critics point to high costs, safety concerns and Kenya’s already strong renewable energy base.
The nuclear expert also provided a basic explanation of isotopes, describing them as variations of elements with different numbers of neutrons. These differences, he said, influence how materials behave in nuclear reactions and determine their potential uses.
In nuclear fuel such as uranium, he explained, isotopes like uranium-235 and uranium-238 play different roles. “The thing that makes both of them uranium are the protons, but then they have different neutrons,” he said.
Agar said that while uranium-235 is commonly used in conventional reactors, other isotopes can also be utilised in specialised systems, including advanced “fast reactors” capable of reusing spent fuel.
“These reactors have this technology called breeding, where you have this waste and you breed it and turn it into fuel,” he said.
Despite these possibilities, he acknowledged that there are risks associated with nuclear materials, particularly in relation to proliferation.
“You don’t want some of this spent fuel ending up in the wrong hands because guys are going to build bombs,” he said.
On the issue of storage, Agar noted that nuclear waste is typically kept on-site at power plants. “Every single nuclear plant on earth has been storing their waste on site,” he said, adding that long-term disposal solutions remain subject to global political considerations.
Beyond waste, Agar also addressed safety concerns, referencing historical nuclear accidents such as Chernobyl disaster.
He argued that the incident, while serious, is often misunderstood in terms of scale and impact. “The total number of guys who passed away from that event is fewer than 50 people,” he said.
According to the expert, design flaws played a significant role in the disaster, particularly the absence of containment structures in certain Soviet-era reactors.
“There was no containment building,” he said, describing it as a critical safety feature missing from the design.
He added that modern nuclear plants incorporate multiple layers of safety, including containment systems designed to prevent the release of radiation.
He also challenged widely held fears about long-term health effects, suggesting that predicted cancer rates following the Chernobyl incident have not materialised at expected levels.
“If you look, you don’t see cancers to date,” he said, referring to nearby populations decades after the accident.
Agar emphasised that nuclear energy debates must be grounded in accurate information and context, particularly as countries like Kenya consider adopting the technology.
He argued that nuclear power should be viewed as part of a broader energy mix, rather than in isolation or competition with other sources.
As Kenya continues to explore nuclear energy, Agar’s remarks highlight ongoing efforts to demystify the technology and address public concerns, particularly around safety and sustainability.
