Kenya should finalise national policies on radioactive waste management and strengthen regulatory independence as it prepares to introduce nuclear power, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review mission has said.
The IAEA said an international team had recognised “considerable progress” in the east African nation’s radioactive waste management programme in recent years, but identified areas requiring further development.
The nine-day Integrated Review Service for Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management, Decommissioning and Remediation (Artemis) mission, held in Nairobi from 11 to 19 October, was the first of its kind in Africa and was conducted at the request of the Kenyan government, the IAEA said.
The IAEA team recommended that Kenya ensure the independence of its regulatory activities, finalise national policies covering nuclear energy, the nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management, and strengthen institutional capabilities through additional training and capacity building.
The team called for an action plan to implement recommendations from the latest mission and a separate IAEA regulatory review conducted in October 2025.
The IAEA said Kenya had demonstrated a commitment to the safe and sustainable management of radioactive waste, including waste expected from its planned nuclear programme.
Kenya uses radioactive sources in medicine, research and industry. Its existing radioactive waste is managed at the Central Radioactive Waste Processing Facility in Oloolua, Kajiado County.
First Nuclear Power Target Is 2034
Kenya is planning its first commercial nuclear power plant as part of efforts to meet growing electricity demand and diversify its energy mix, according to earlier reports.
The government is targeting 2034 for commissioning a proposed 2,000-MW nuclear power station on the shores of Lake Victoria in Siaya County, western Kenya.
Kenya is also planning a first nuclear research reactor at the Konza Technopolis technology hub, southern Kenya, with construction targeted to begin in 2027.
