The great advantage of nuclear power is that it does not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
However nuclear power has several major disadvantages: it is very expensive; its radioactive waste takes 1,000 years to degrade to where it is safe for humans; and it requires large amounts of water for cooling.
The Nuclear Power and Energy Agency estimates that its programme including two 1Mw nuclear power stations will cost Sh500 billion, over 100 times as much as the SGR. Is that affordable, even if it were necessary?
Part of this high cost is to cover the storage and disposal of nuclear waste. Often nuclear waste is stored in old salt mines or very stable geological formations but these are not available in Kenya.
Nuclear power stations also need large amounts of water to cool the reactor and prevent a dangerous meltdown. That is why NUPEA is considering possible coastal sites in Kilifi and Kwale. But what happens if there is a tsunami as in Fukushima, or if the oceans rise with global warming?
Nuclear power is not right for Kenya, a country with abundant cost-effective and environmentally friendly resources such as geothermal, solar and hydro.
Quote of the day: "It is much easier to show compassion to animals. They are never wicked."
Haile Selassie
He was proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia on April 2, 1930
