By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 24 December 2025 - Siaya Governor James Orengo has emerged as a key political voice backing the proposed KSh 500 billion nuclear power plant in Siaya, framing the project as a strategic bet on industrialisation, skills development and Kenya’s long-term energy security.
His push comes amid growing public anxiety, environmental objections and a broader national debate over whether the country is ready to embrace nuclear energy.
Orengo argues that resistance to the project is largely driven by fear and limited understanding of nuclear technology rather than informed assessment. To address this, he has proposed that selected leaders from Siaya be sponsored to visit Austria, home to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to gain first-hand exposure and technical knowledge. In his view, leaders equipped with credible information would be better placed to persuade sceptical residents and counter misinformation.
The governor’s proposal reflects lessons from earlier engagements involving leaders from other regions. According to Orengo, delegations that initially opposed the nuclear project softened their stance after exposure to international best practices and regulatory frameworks. He believes a similar approach could help reframe the debate in Siaya from fear to informed choice.
However, the nuclear plan has exposed deep fault lines at the community level. Residents and environmental advocates fear the catastrophic consequences of a potential nuclear accident, radioactive contamination of Lake Victoria, and long-term health risks such as increased cancer cases. Others question whether a project of such scale can be insulated from corruption, mismanagement and safety shortcuts, especially given Kenya’s mixed record with mega infrastructure projects.
These concerns have not been confined to Siaya. Communities in Kilifi and Turkana, also previously considered for the project, have raised objections centred on environmental, social and safety risks. While national leaders have promised continued consultations, Orengo has suggested that earlier resistance from these regions came too late in the planning process, effectively narrowing the focus to Siaya.
Supporters of the project, including senior national leaders, present nuclear energy as essential for Kenya’s economic transformation. They argue that the country’s current electricity generation, estimated at about 4,000 megawatts, is insufficient to support large-scale industrialisation, especially when compared to regional peers. Nuclear power, they say, offers stable, low-carbon energy capable of supporting manufacturing, technology and export-driven growth.
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The proposed plant is expected to initially generate about 1,000 megawatts, with ambitions to scale up to as much as 20,000 megawatts by 2040. Potential sites along Lake Victoria have already been identified, underscoring the project’s advanced planning stage and intensifying local unease over land, water use and environmental safety.
Orengo has also tied the project to skills and institutional development, calling for local universities to establish specialised nuclear science programmes to prepare the workforce needed to run and regulate the facility. In his framing, the plant is not just an energy project but a catalyst for transforming Siaya into a centre of advanced science and industry.
Yet opposition remains firm. A section of Luo elders has publicly rejected the project, citing regional and cross-border environmental risks and calling for its abandonment. Their stance highlights the political sensitivity of the proposal and the difficulty of forging consensus.
As Kenya weighs a nuclear future, the Siaya debate captures the broader national dilemma: balancing the promise of cheap, reliable energy and industrial growth against fears of irreversible environmental and health consequences.
Whether Orengo’s strategy of “knowledge-led persuasion” will be enough to shift public opinion remains uncertain, but the controversy suggests that nuclear power could become one of the most contested development choices of the decade.
Orengo Champions Nuclear Power for Siaya as Risks Debate Intensifies
Siaya Governor Champions Nuclear Power for Siaya as Debate Over Risks and Rewards Intensifies
