NUCLEAR ENERGY SHOULD BE THE LAST OPTION FOR KENYA

The greatest challenge towards harnessing nuclear energy in Kenya is waste management notwithstanding its environmental friendliness and no gaseous emissions.


This challenge raises controversial views in countries such as German which draws a quarter of its energy from nuclear power plants; but is projected to close 17 of its plants by 2021. The German public is overwhelming against nuclear energy exploitation. The German government admits that the use of nuclear energy is a bridging technology until renewables are fully commercially developed.


It is rumored that some of the nuclear waste material from some of the developed countries ends up unwittingly being damped in developing countries, under the sea beds and at the North and South Poles.


Handling the nuclear wastes is equally as dangerous as handling its raw fuel materials. It requires highly trained experts, with special skills, expensive test equipments, and enough storage and packing facilities. The KSh. 525 million which the government has allocated for the building of a Central Radioactive Waste Processing facility is a drop in a sea considering an estimated cost of KSh. 80 billion required to put up a nuclear power plant.


The safest way of storing radioactive wastes is in cladded thick walled containers made of dense materials, like lead to limit radiation leakage. Indeed for an underdeveloped country like Kenya our options for damping such wastes are limited to within our boarders.


And the two sites that have been proposed for the development of nuclear power plants; at the coast and the western Kenya all are high rainfall regions. Going by the requirements of the most countries in the; West, Middle East and Asia, - the ideal damping sites are usual located in rocky desert conditions desolate of habitations. Hence the location of the proposed sites will increase the cost of waste management in terms of transports costs and risks posed.


It is worthy to note that since 1973, the USA has not built a new nuclear power plant. It has been difficult to factor in $ 15 billion federal subsidy to build the planned six or seven plants.


So far in Africa, it’s only South Africa which exploits nuclear power for it’s domestic use. However, energy experts in South Africa admit that it’s a costly option with unresolved environmental problems – long term disposal and storage of waste products.


Ghana and Nigeria have research nuclear reactors –for applications in basic nuclear experiments, human medicine and increased food production. Asian countries, such as India and Pakistan have operational nuclear facilities for research and various applications too, some of which that raises the question of security and safety in applications of these technologies.


The UK has its nuclear facilities located at remote locations far from habitations, have advanced technologies consumerate to the challenges of wastes management, highly trained engineers, and expensive equipment to detect any anomaly in their plants. People around these areas are enlightened to respond to any disaster including radioactive contamination immediately and the government is highly prepared for any such emergencies. The investments in these facilities and that supports their operations is enormous and long term sustainable.


From the past tragedies that have occurred in Kenya; fire infernos, collapsing buildings, road accidents among others - what does one notice in general? - unpreparedness and ignorance to respond to tragedies, sub-standards use of materials whether for buildings or otherwise, the list goes on !. Whether this out of ignorance or poverty to improvise on little available resources is an issue that requires re-education and planning for future good.


Secondly Kenyan seems to have developed a habit of doing contrary to the professional views; houses are built on the river banks and next to airport’s line of landing and take off.


It takes three levels of security formations for the nuclear plants; facilities and personnel surveillance for safety and adherence to safety standards, facilities operational safety, and facility of installations. All these require substantial resources for 24 hours monitoring and coordination (armed forces, trained animals like dogs, rapid response team, ambulances and fire fighters). In general, the security of these facilities can be costly.


The re-election of a Kenyan to join the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after 26 years of absence is good news. But IAEA is a watch dog for peaceful use of nuclear technology. It trains research experts to monitor the use of nuclear technology appropriately, but does not fund for the construction of a nuclear plant anywhere. It is the responsibilities of individual governments to fund for constructions and maintenance, operations and security of nuclear facilities.

In Ghana the nuclear experts are trained by IAEA under Africa Regional Cooperation Arrangement (AFRA), on research, development and training related to nuclear science and technology, but the nuclear reactor was build and funded by the Chinese government.

In general the costs for investing in generating nuclear energy can be enormous. Kenya is presently underdeveloped to undertake project of this magnitude. However, Kenya should first exhaust its renewable energy sources such as mini hydro power plants, geothermal, solar and wind, as means of harnessing energy which comes with an additional values such as, job opportunities, career development, and nurture entrepreneurship whose resources are a abundant in the country in form of the 60 percent unemployed youths.