Universities around Lake Victoria are preparing specialised nuclear engineering courses to train the experts Kenya will need to run its first nuclear power plant in Siaya County, the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) has said.

NuPEA chairman Prof Lawrence Gumbe said the agency is in talks with several institutions on a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering and postgraduate diplomas. "We are already in discussions with a number of universities on a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering," he told a workshop in Kisumu, according to The Star.

The workshop drew more than 100 participants from 15 institutions, among them 11 universities in the Lake Region. NuPEA is also working with Kisumu National Polytechnic to train technicians and technologists.

Plant timeline

The government is targeting a groundbreaking for the Siaya plant in March 2027. KenGen has been named owner and operator, and the country's first nuclear research reactor is planned for Konza.

KenGen's corporate services general manager Beatrice Kandie said nuclear energy would give the grid steady supply. "Nuclear power is firm power. It is baseload power, and it is going to enable the stability of our grid," she said. KenGen says about 92 per cent of the electricity it produces already comes from hydro, geothermal and wind.

Gumbe said more than 10 community meetings were held in the project area in September 2025, with more this year, though he said one landowners' meeting was disrupted and some participants were assaulted. Siaya Governor James Orengo, who backs the project, has travelled to South Korea with NuPEA and KenGen officials to discuss the technology.

Questions over Lake Victoria

The training push comes as researchers raise concerns about the plant's environmental impact. At a nuclear energy town hall hosted by Maseno University in Kisumu on Friday, October 30, participants asked what heated water discharged from a plant would do to oxygen levels and aquatic life in Lake Victoria, People Daily reported.

Others raised questions about radioactive waste, public safety and the livelihoods of communities near the proposed site. Officials said any relocation would require a full Resettlement Action Plan, with an independent consultant assessing the social and economic effects.

Academics urged planners to fund locally driven research and work with Lake Region universities on independent environmental studies. Gumbe welcomed the idea and encouraged researchers to turn it into fundable proposals.

Maseno University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof David Ongarora said academics must stay objective. "Independent, evidence-based research is vital in determining our country's true preparedness to pursue nuclear power," he said, adding that the university is committed to supporting the initiative.

Next steps

The Maseno forum proposed a steering committee to coordinate the university's nuclear energy work and a Nuclear Liaison Office at its Kisumu campus, to support research, information sharing and engagement with communities as the programme moves forward.

Photos: People Daily/Maseno University (Kisumu nuclear town hall participants; NuPEA chairman Prof Lawrence Gumbe). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.