By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Kenyans in their dozens staged a peaceful protest on Friday against a proposal to build to country’s first nuclear power plant in Kilifi County, considered one of the main coastal tourist centres.
The region is known for its pristine sandy beaches where hotels and beach bars line its 265 mile coastline.
It also houses Arabuko Sokoke Forest, an important natural habitat for the conservation of rare and endangered species where visitors troop in their large numbers.
The forest was tentatively listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
The nuclear power project proposed last year will be built in the town of Kilifi, about 522 kilometers southeast of the capital Nairobi.
Many residents have expressed concern over the negative impact of the project on people and the environment, a development that has led to series of demonstrations, with protesters turning violent in few occasions.
A group, Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI) led the march in Kilifi to the provincial governor’s office, where they presented him with a petition opposing the construction of the factory.
Some chanted anti-nuclear slogans, while others carried signs reading “Sitaki nuclear,” Swahili for “I don’t want nuclear.”
Construction of the 1,000 MW nuclear power plant is expected to begin in 2027 and be operational in 2034, at a cost of 500 billion Kenyan shillings ($3.8 billion).
Francis Auma, a MUHURI activist said the negative effects of the nuclear power plant outweigh its benefits.
“We say this project has many negative impacts; Deformed children will be born in this place, fish will die, and our Arabuko Sokoke forest, known to harbor the birds from abroad, will be lost,” Auma said during Friday’s protests.
Phyllis Omido, executive director of the Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action, who also attended the march, said Kenya’s eastern coastal cities rely on ecotourism as their main source of income and that a nuclear power plant would threaten their livelihoods.
The country’s nuclear agency NUPEA had published an impact assessment report last year recommending the introduction of policies to ensure environmental protection.
