Kenya is planning to begin construction of its first commercial nuclear power station in 2027, the authorities have said in the latest pledge about the project.

The nuclear station, which has been in the pipeline for several years, is part of the East African country’s ambition to move to clean energy and increase energy generation as demand rises in the nation of more than 55 million – a number that is growing by about 2% a year.

Similar statements about the start of the project have been made in the past. In 2021, the Kenya Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), formed to undertake preparations for the development of a nuclear power programme, said construction had been delayed beyond the initial estimate of 2030, an estimate which now appears to have been brought forward, although no schedule has been confirmed.