Siaya Governor James Orengo has used an international nuclear energy meeting in South Korea to pitch his county as the centre of Kenya's push for atomic power, saying the planned plant could transform the economy of the Lake Region.

In a statement on Wednesday, October 28, Orengo said he was attending the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power, held in Incheon from October 27 to 29 under the International Atomic Energy Agency, together with Kenya's Ambassador to South Korea Prof Emmy Jerono Kipsoi and officials from the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA).

"As the designated host county for Kenya's flagship nuclear power program, Siaya stands at the very forefront of our nation's transition toward clean, sustainable energy," the governor said.

Industries and jobs

Orengo argued that modern energy infrastructure, including small modular reactors (SMRs), would attract manufacturing firms to the county and open up employment for residents of Siaya and neighbouring counties.

He also tied the project to the national electricity bill, saying dependable baseload power from a clean source would bring down costs and support large-scale industrialisation across the country. The governor added that Kenya's engagement with strategic partners, including the United States, would strengthen its standing as a regional hub for green technology and long-term energy security.

Wandayi: the plant will go ahead

The governor's remarks come days after Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi warned people he accused of obstructing the project that the government would deal with them "through legal means".

Speaking in Mombasa on Sunday, two days after appearing before the Senate Energy Committee, Wandayi said the plant would proceed and that the first phase is expected to generate 2,000 megawatts. KenGen has been named the owner-operator, working with NuPEA, Kenya Power and other agencies.

"There is nothing we are hiding," the CS said, adding that concerns raised by residents were genuine and would be addressed through public participation as the project moves forward.

The government hopes to break ground in Siaya in the first quarter of 2027.

Project moved from Kilifi

The nuclear plant was first proposed for Uyombo village in Kilifi North, but the plan was shifted to Siaya after sustained opposition from residents and environmental activists, who raised concerns about biodiversity at a site partly covered by UNESCO protection.

Senate Energy Committee chairperson William Kisang, whose team met Siaya residents about six weeks ago, has backed the CS and claimed that some of those opposing the project in Siaya are the same people who campaigned against it in Kilifi.

  • First phase: 2,000MW
  • Owner-operator: KenGen, with NuPEA and Kenya Power
  • Target groundbreaking: first quarter of 2027

How far the promised industries and jobs reach local communities will depend on how the project is implemented and how residents' concerns about safety, land and the environment are handled in the months ahead.

Photos: People Daily (James Orengo); State Department for Energy via Wikimedia Commons (public domain, Opiyo Wandayi). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.