A section of residents of Matsangoni, Kilifi County, clashed with police as they opposed plans to construct a nuclear plant in the area.
Property was damaged as the police and the locals engaged in running battles for the better part of Tuesday at the Uyombo Girls Secondary School.
A group of staff from the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency were at the area to clear bushes and erect a meteorological data mast in preparation for the planned groundbreaking for the construction of the plant when the drama erupted.
Police said at least nine officers were injured, two people arrested, two vehicles damaged, the school property destroyed and solar panels vandalized in the drama.
The group kept chanting anti-Nupea slogans as they engaged the anti-riot team late in the night on Tuesday, police said citing incitement for the situation.
The protesters also demolished one side of the fence of the school.
They argued they had not done proper public participation to warrant the planned construction.
“We opposed this thing but they are here to go on with their plans. We will not accept,” said one local on the phone.
Police said there were about 300 people who turned up for the protest.
In the chaos, live bullets, tear gas canisters and blanks were used in efforts to disperse the group.
Two men who police said were the group leaders were arrested.
Tension remained high on Wednesday and Thursday as local administrators called for meetings to discuss the way forward.
The plan to build a Sh500 billion nuclear power plant at Uyombo in Kilifi county has continued to draw mixed reactions from residents with some welcoming the project while others insisting it would pose a danger to them and the environment.
The Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is according to officials expected to generate 1,000 megawatts by 2034 to cater for Kenya's soaring energy needs and spur industrial development.
Uyombo is a village next to the beach in Matsangoni, Kilifi County, and has been earmarked to host Kenya’s first nuclear reactor.
According to NuPEA, the project was already approved by the IAEA in 2021, and Uyombo has been identified as the most suitable site in the country.
While others are supporting the project, opponents cite the danger of accidents and radiation, corruption, the prospect of escalating project costs, and the lack of specialized technicians in the country.
Environmentalists have claimed that numerous studies have confirmed that children who live near nuclear power plants are likely to develop leukemia, and die of cancer from radioactive emissions.
NuPEA Director for Publicity and Advocacy Basett Buyukah, said before the station is built, a feasibility study and environmental impact assessment will be done.
