Kenya, US convene forum to bolster nuclear security

From left: Nuclear Energy Agency Director General William Magwood, KNRA chairman Omondi Anyanga and David Wright of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission during the energy summit in Nairobi. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Kenya and the United States have convened a five-day forum in Nairobi to explore ways of bolstering nuclear security.

Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) and the US National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of International Nuclear Security target stakeholders in government and the security sector.

The talks in Gigiri, coming just days after Kenya hosted the 2024 US-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit, are meant to boost the country's institutional and regulatory capacity to harness nuclear.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) lays emphasis on safety to prevent accidents, and further offers strict rules on security to prevent acts that might harm nuclear facilities or result in the theft of nuclear material.

KNRA officials, Nuclear Power Energy Agency (NuPEA) and other national stakeholders involved in nuclear security implementation, such as law enforcement and intelligence officials, are expected to attend the forum.

They will take stock and further lay the ground for the country's nuclear power programme. Kenya has set 2035 as the year it will have its first nuclear power plant up and running. According to NuPEA, feasibility studies are ongoing on potential sites.

"The forum is designed to strengthen the existing regulatory body to regulate nuclear power. It will allow for an overview of international guidance, good practices and lessons learned, competence, regulatory independence and obtaining technical support," reads the draft agenda released by the organizers on Friday.

KNRA Director of Nuclear Security, Isaac Mundia, stressed the need for a hands-on approach by stakeholders. "The meeting will, among other critical things, discuss nuclear security culture considerations for Kenya's nuclear power programme. There's no better timing for this," he said.

The talks will address strengthening the implementation of the Amendment to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material in Kenya through the necessary legal, regulatory and institutional infrastructure for nuclear security.

Also in the agenda is gender parity considerations in nuclear security in the context of nuclear power development that Kenya is seeking, including professional development opportunities, mentorship, and other related topics.

At the just-concluded nuclear energy summit in Nairobi, it emerged that despite decades of efforts by government and private sector, Kenya, like many other countries, continues to face worrying gender disparities in technical fields, including nuclear.

Only 21.4 per cent of professionals in STEM fields are women, with an even smaller percentage in nuclear and engineering sectors. The underrepresentation has been elusive to address, with UNESCO raising the red flag that women make up just 35 per cent of STEM graduates.