
Environmental rights activists at the Coast have welcomed the government’s decision to dissolve the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency.
On Tuesday, President William Ruto chaired the first Cabinet meeting of 2025 at State Lodge, Kakamega.
In a State House statement to newsrooms, the Cabinet approved a series of recommendations aimed at reforming state corporations.
The reforms included merging 42 state corporations with overlapping or related mandates into 20 entities to improve operational efficiency and eliminate redundancy.
Nine state corporations will be dissolved, with their functions transferred to relevant ministries or other state entities, while 16 corporations with outdated functions that can be provided by the private sector will be divested or dissolved.
Among the nine state corporation to be dissolved is Nuclear Power and Energy Agency, Kenya Tsetse Fly and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Council, Kenya Fish Marketing Authority and Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa.
Others are President’s Award – Kenya, Kenya National Commission for Unesco, Kenya Film Classification Board, National Council for Nomadic Education and Lapsset Corridor Development Authority.
According to environmental lobby group, Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action, the decision to dissolve Nupea is a significant step in Kenya’s just energy transition journey.
CJGEA has been at the forefront to oppose the plan by Nupea to set up a Sh500 billion nuclear power plant at Uyombo, in Matsangoni, Kilifi North.
The plant would have a capacity of 1000MW, key to increasing the electricity supply to the economy and help reduce reliance on dirty thermal plants.
The lobby group and residents opposed the nuclear power plant in the region for fear of eviction and destruction of the marine ecosystem.
The residents depend on fishing for their livelihoods and the area is home to Watamu Marine Park, the first marine protected area in Africa.
In a statement, CJGEA executive director Phyllis Omido said Nupea had severely wasted taxpayers’ funds and also infringed on the rights of Kenyans, particularly the Uyombo community.
“The Nuclear Energy sector as currently constituted is a form of imperialist agenda. A technology that you buy yet never own, does not deserve the hard-earned money from Kenyans and the york of debt that spans generations to come,” the activist said.
She said their efforts in highlighting Nupea’s inefficiencies and advocating for more streamlined governance have been instrumental in bringing about this change and underscore the importance of civil society in shaping sound governance policies.