Residents of Bondo must see clear and lasting benefits from Kenya’s planned first nuclear power plant before the project can win their full support, senators have warned, putting pressure on the government to address electricity access, land compensation, jobs and social amenities ahead of the proposed March 2027 groundbreaking.
The Senate Energy Committee, led by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang, raised the concerns during engagements with officials from the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), residents of Lenya and other local stakeholders.
At the centre of the discussions was whether the community would benefit directly from the electricity produced at the plant, especially given the area’s inadequate access to reliable power.
Dr Ochanda, a resident, said residents wanted clear answers on what they would gain from hosting the major project.
“Our people need to know what is in it for them,” he said, pointing to electricity supply and the role of KenGen in ensuring the host community benefits.
Nominated Senator Beatrice Ogolla said residents could not be expected to support a power project while continuing to struggle with electricity access.
“It would be outrageous that we are talking to our people about power, when they don’t have power, and one of the things we will not allow is talking to people about power but they see the power being taken to other people.”
Residents also raised concerns over land compensation, environmental safety, livelihoods and other benefits expected from the project.
NuPEA Chief Executive Officer Justus Wabuyabo told the committee that Lenya Village had been identified as the preferred site for the proposed nuclear plant after assessments of potential locations.
He sought to reassure residents about the safety of nuclear technology, saying strict safeguards had been put in place.
“Today, a nuclear plant cannot leak because of the safeguards put in place,” he told senators.
Wabuyabo said the proposed 2,000-megawatt plant would require relatively little land compared with hydropower projects of similar capacity. He added that it could operate for about 100 years, with the initial investment potentially recovered in approximately 20 years.
He said NuPEA was ready to organise scientific tours for community representatives and opinion leaders to countries operating nuclear plants so they could learn about the technology and how host communities benefit.
However, several steps remain before construction can begin, including land acquisition, environmental and social impact assessments, financing, vendor selection, licensing and institutional preparedness.
Kisang warned that the March 2027 target was approaching quickly, yet compensation had not been completed.
“We are almost in September and March is fast approaching and compensation hasn’t been done,” he said.
He urged political leaders in Siaya to support the project while insisting that residents must first understand its benefits.
“Before it takes place, we need to do enough and reach out to all leaders in this county to support the project,” he said.
“You also need to tell the community benefits of the project,” he told NuPEA.
Kisang also called for education opportunities, including scholarships, to be prioritised and questioned whether the Sh250 million allocated for land acquisition would be enough.
“With the Sh250 million, we need to be realistic because it is an amount which can be used for land acquisition but what about developments on those land?” he asked.
Ogolla urged NuPEA to increase community engagement and speed up compensation through the National Land Commission.
“As we move to March, buy-in must be very intense and progressive.There shouldn’t be a time that the people will see that you’re not engaging them.” she said.
She also questioned whether NuPEA had a physical office where residents could raise concerns.
“Do you have physical office with officers where people can visit when they have issues?” she asked.
Ogolla warned that affected residents should be compensated before any groundbreaking takes place.
“Land compensation, we must hasten this process because it would be unfair that we are going to groundbreak and put some projects in a space which hasn’t been compensated and major projects in this country like dams have stalled for years because compensation processes haven’t been completed,” she said.
“Such projects can scuttle the groundbreaking and there are many people who will be happy to do that,” Senator Ogolla added.
Senator Lomenen cited Turkana’s experience with oil exploration, saying fears surrounding the discovery were addressed through sustained engagement.
“We were intoxicated by the fears of the unknown and the investors were very humble and took time to explain to us, to deal with every fear that we had,” he said.
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga said the project should benefit Bondo, the wider region and Kenya while warning against repeating mistakes made in other resource-rich areas.
“What we are discussing is a project for development. It’s not development for Bondo alone, it’s a project for our region, it’s a developmental project for Kenya and the world is going digital, the world is going nuclear and if you remain behind, you might not catch up with first-world countries,” he said.
Oginga called for local employment and investment in schools, health facilities and other social amenities, while demanding safeguards on nuclear waste, pollution and public health.
“The interest of Kenyans must be taken care of and the pollution should also be looked at, the nuclear waste, all those issues should be discussed and taken care of carefully, so that we know that our people are safe health-wise,” he said.
The consultations have placed community benefits and compensation at the centre of the nuclear project, with senators warning that local support will depend on how effectively the government addresses residents’ concerns before construction begins.