Kenya: KenGen, NuPEA To Develop Kenya’s First Nuclear Power Plant

The Government of Kenya has appointed the country’s power generation company, KenGen, as the owner-operator of Kenya’s first nuclear power plant.

KenGen will partner with the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) to advance this milestone project.

Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi revealed the development, noting that the country aims to generate 10,000 MW (10 GW) of electricity from nuclear power in the long term.

The planned nuclear plant—expected to be located along the coast—will provide stable baseload supply to support industrial growth, urbanization, and the country’s clean energy transition.

NuPEA has already completed several preparatory phases, including feasibility studies, grid impact assessments, and public engagement processes.

Kenya is currently in the Phase 2 stage of nuclear infrastructure development under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines, focusing on site selection, financing models, regulatory frameworks, human capacity development, and safety standards.

Once completed, the project will be the first of its kind in East Africa and one of the largest energy infrastructure investments in Kenya’s history.

This latest move underscores Africa’s growing interest in diversifying energy generation sources to include nuclear power.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between KenGen and NuPEA.

Its main objective is to establish a collaborative framework for jointly planning, coordinating, and implementing robust public participation and stakeholder engagement activities to build awareness, understanding, and acceptance of the Kenya Nuclear Power Programme (KNPP).

The collaboration under the MoU will include, but not be limited to, the following joint initiatives: Stakeholder mapping and analysis, Educational and awareness campaigns, Structured dialogue platforms, Digital and media engagement, Capacity building for engagement, and Feedback and grievance management systems.

Currently, South Africa is the only country in Africa operating a nuclear power plant, while Egypt’s El Dabaa NPP is nearing completion.

Meanwhile, Ghana, Zambia, Uganda, Guinea, and Burkina Faso are also at various stages of developing their first nuclear power plants.