Kenya’s Nuclear Drive Gains Momentum As KenGen Studies Ontario Model

Kenya has moved a step closer to becoming a nuclear-powered nation after the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), accompanied by other Kenyan officials, recently undertook a high-level study mission to Ontario’s nuclear industry to strengthen the country’s plans for building its first nuclear power plant.

The week-long Canada–Kenya Nuclear Engagement Program brought Kenyan leaders into direct contact with one of the world’s most mature nuclear ecosystems, giving KenGen and its partner institutions deeper exposure to the operational, regulatory, technical, and human capital foundations required for Phase 3 readiness under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Milestones Framework.

KenGen Managing Director and CEO, Eng. Peter Njenga, described the tour as highly successful, saying the move towards nuclear power represents the next major step in Kenya’s pursuit of industrial growth, energy security, and reliable round-the-clock clean energy.

“This trip is very strategic for us, and it has helped deepen our understanding of our role going forward. We gained first-hand experience by learning from an established nuclear market, understanding the owner-operator model, and translating that knowledge into a long-term plan for Kenya’s energy system,” said Eng. Njenga.

Beyond showcasing technology, KenGen said the Canada mission provided an end-to-end view of what it takes to build a sustainable national nuclear programme, including owner-operator capability, regulatory discipline, workforce development, fuel-cycle understanding, public accountability, and long-term radioactive waste stewardship.

“KenGen has been designated to serve as the owner-operator of Kenya’s first nuclear power plant in partnership with the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA). This mission helped sharpen the practical roadmap for turning our national ambition into institutional readiness,” said Eng. Njenga.

KenGen added that Kenya’s nuclear vision is anchored in a broader national development strategy. In December 2025, the company announced that the country’s first nuclear power project is expected to have an initial capacity of approximately 2,000 megawatts (MW), with long-term plans to expand nuclear generation to about 6,000 MW. This forms part of Kenya’s broader strategy to add 10,000 MW of electricity generation capacity while strengthening energy security, industrial competitiveness, and long-term economic transformation.

In Ontario, the Kenyan delegation engaged with a nuclear ecosystem built on proven scale and continuity. During the tour, the delegation was exposed to Canada’s reactor technology, CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium). Canada has 16 CANDU reactors in Ontario and one reactor in New Brunswick. The delegation also learned about Canada’s work on next-generation nuclear technologies and reactor innovation.

“Kenya is one of Canada’s most important partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and we see significant opportunity to deepen that partnership across energy, education and workforce development,” said Sophie Price, Head of Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada to Kenya.

She added: “Building a nuclear programme is not only about technology; it is also about people, institutions and long-term capability. For every engineer in nuclear, for example, many more diverse professionals are needed across operations, safety, regulation and community engagement, and that is why partnerships like this matter to us.”

Canada currently has 30 CANDU reactors operating globally. CANDU reactors use heavy water (deuterium oxide) as both moderator and coolant and are among the few reactor designs in the world developed for the open commercial market by their home country. They use natural uranium fuel, reducing reliance on uranium enrichment services and providing greater flexibility in fuel sourcing. This contributes to energy security and supply chain resilience, considerations that are increasingly important for countries pursuing long-term nuclear power programmes.

For Kenya, these lessons were highly relevant. The Ontario programme exposed KenGen to Canada’s full nuclear value chain, from technology stewardship and operating culture to supply-chain development, skills formation, research partnerships and long-term waste management.

At Bruce Power, the world’s largest operating nuclear power facility with an installed capacity of 6,400 MW, the Kenyan delegation learned why nuclear power is becoming increasingly strategic in modern industrial economies.

“Canada’s electricity demand could more than double by 2050, with provincial data showing a new trend of emerging consumers—mostly data centres—seeking grid connection. They already represent roughly 30% of Ontario’s peak demand, with more than 6,500 MW requested,” said Ms. Price.

For Kenya, this is a powerful signal and a further boost to KenGen’s new Green Energy Park, which seeks to meet the emerging and future needs of industrialisation, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and green growth through reliable, scalable baseload power.

“No nation has achieved industrial transformation without reliable, affordable and scalable baseload power,” said Eng. Njenga, adding: “Kenya’s nuclear project must be understood as institution-building before it is understood as construction. Our aspiration is to build a nuclear organisation that reflects the highest international standards of operational excellence, safety culture, environmental stewardship and public accountability.”

“Drawing on the benchmark of Bruce Power in Kincardine, Canada, where localised nuclear expansion acts as a major driver of socioeconomic development, it is evident that a comprehensive, cross-county joint stakeholder engagement framework must be deployed to prioritise transparent, community-driven advocacy campaigns,” said Eng. Njenga.

At the same time, the team was exposed to the ability of a nuclear power plant to stimulate regional wealth creation, generate thousands of skilled engineering and construction jobs, and catalyse sustainable industrialisation not just at the plant site but across Kenya.

During an exposure tour of Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) the mission demonstrated how long-term used-fuel management can be institutionally protected through dedicated trust funds that exist for their intended purpose, ensuring safety treatment and disposal of nuclear wastes.

“For Kenya, this level of safety preparedness offered us a concrete example of how public confidence in nuclear energy is built not only through safety and regulation, but through visible, durable commitments to stewardship over decades,” said NuPEA’s Eng. Eric Ohaga who was also part of the Kenyan delegation.

The trip also underscored that nuclear readiness depends on people as much as infrastructure. At McMaster University, the delegation saw how specialized talent pipelines are built early, including the Bruce Power Women in Nuclear Engineering Co-op Program, which introduces students to the full nuclear fuel cycle from mining and plant operation to waste management.

The model aligns with Kenya’s need to build an inclusive, multidisciplinary workforce in engineering, science, operations, regulation, communications, environmental management and community engagement.

KenGen’s Canada mission sends a clear signal to the market, to policymakers and to the Kenyan public that Kenya’s nuclear future is moving from aspiration to structured readiness.

“Success therefore depends on strategic patience, consistency of purpose and trusted international partnerships,” said Eng. Njenga, adding, “Kenya’s nuclear journey, is not beginning from zero, but it will demand discipline, continuity and institutional depth to turn this national dream into a reality for the good of our people.”

At AtkinsRéalis, the steward of CANDU technology, the delegation was shown how a reactor platform becomes part of a broader national supply chain. Carl Marcotte of Candu Energy told the Kenyan team that, given the progress Kenya has already made in power development, nuclear represented a logical next step.

He also stressed a point of relevance to KenGen’s industrial ambitions: while first-ofa-kind units and critical components may have to be imported at the outset, localization can deepen over time, allowing more equipment, services and technical capability to be produced domestically. This approach can help maximize economic benefits, create skilled jobs, and strengthen national industrial capacity over the life of a nuclear program.

That question of local capability ran through other stops on the program. The message was that nuclear power is never just a plant behind a fence. It is an ecosystem of fabricators, engineers, training institutions, policy specialists, inspectors and long-duration service providers.

At Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Eric McGoey argued that public debate around nuclear power often dwells almost exclusively on risk while giving too little attention to economic value.

“People tend to focus on waste at the end of the project rather than on the wider benefits that flow from a reliable source of low-carbon baseload electricity,” he said adding, “nonetheless we can never dismiss the burden of safety or public trust, which is real but it is good to note that mature nuclear states deal with those burdens through institutions designed to manage them over decades.”

A key takeaway from the visit is that successful nuclear programs extend well beyond the reactor itself. Canada’s experience demonstrated the importance of developing local supply chains, workforce capabilities, research partnerships, and institutional capacity alongside nuclear infrastructure.

By learning directly from a country that has built, operated, regulated and continuously evolved a world-class nuclear system, KenGen is helping position Kenya to take the next step with greater confidence, stronger partnerships and a sharper understanding of what it will take to deliver safe, affordable, low-carbon baseload power at national scale.

During an exposure tour of Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), the mission examined how long-term used-fuel management can be institutionally safeguarded through dedicated trust funds established for their intended purpose, ensuring the safe treatment and disposal of nuclear waste.

“For Kenya, this level of safety preparedness offered us a concrete example of how public confidence in nuclear energy is built not only through safety and regulation, but also through visible, durable commitments to stewardship over decades,” said NuPEA’s Eng. Eric Ohaga, who was also part of the Kenyan delegation.

The trip also underscored that nuclear readiness depends on people as much as infrastructure. At McMaster University, the delegation observed how specialised talent pipelines are developed early, including the Bruce Power Women in Nuclear Engineering Co-op Programme, which introduces students to the full nuclear fuel cycle—from mining and plant operation to waste management.

The model aligns with Kenya’s need to build an inclusive, multidisciplinary workforce in engineering, science, operations, regulation, communications, environmental management and community engagement.

KenGen’s Canada mission sends a clear signal to the market, policymakers and the Kenyan public that the country’s nuclear future is moving from aspiration to structured readiness.

“Success therefore depends on strategic patience, consistency of purpose and trusted international partnerships,” said Eng. Njenga, adding: “Kenya’s nuclear journey is not beginning from zero, but it will demand discipline, continuity and institutional depth to turn this national dream into a reality for the good of our people.”

At AtkinsRéalis, the steward of CANDU technology, the delegation was shown how a reactor platform becomes part of a broader national supply chain. Carl Marcotte of Candu Energy told the Kenyan team that, given the progress Kenya has already made in power development, nuclear power represents a logical next step.

He also stressed a point relevant to KenGen’s industrial ambitions: while first-of-a-kind units and critical components may need to be imported at the outset, localisation can deepen over time, allowing more equipment, services and technical capability to be produced domestically. This approach can help maximise economic benefits, create skilled jobs and strengthen national industrial capacity over the life of a nuclear programme.

That question of local capability ran through other stops on the programme. The message was that nuclear power is never just a plant behind a fence; it is an ecosystem of fabricators, engineers, training institutions, policy specialists, inspectors and long-term service providers.

At Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Eric McGoey argued that public debate around nuclear power often focuses almost exclusively on risk while giving too little attention to economic value.

“People tend to focus on waste at the end of the project rather than on the wider benefits that flow from a reliable source of low-carbon baseload electricity,” he said, adding: “Nonetheless, we can never dismiss the burden of safety or public trust, which is real. But it is important to note that mature nuclear states deal with those burdens through institutions designed to manage them over decades.”

A key takeaway from the visit is that successful nuclear programmes extend well beyond the reactor itself. Canada’s experience demonstrated the importance of developing local supply chains, workforce capabilities, research partnerships and institutional capacity alongside nuclear infrastructure.

By learning directly from a country that has built, operated, regulated and continuously evolved a world-class nuclear system, KenGen is helping position Kenya to take the next step with greater confidence, stronger partnerships and a sharper understanding of what it will take to deliver safe, affordable and low-carbon baseload power at national scale.

Source: KenGen