Nairobi, Monday, December 1, 2025 Kenya today signalled a new phase in its clean-energy ambitions after the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Hon. Opiyo Wandayi, announced that Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) will be the owner-operator of the country’s first nuclear power plant, to be developed in partnership with the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA).
CS Wandayi said the decision aligns with President William Ruto’s call for Kenya to add about 10GW of electricity to propel the nation into a first-world economy. He noted that the first nuclear development will be approximately 2GW, with plans to scale up to 6GW of nuclear capacity over time.“This marks the beginning of Kenya’s nuclear-power era,” the CS said. “Assigning KenGen the owner-operator role ensures the programme is anchored in strong technical capability, public trust, and long-term national interest.”The announcement came during the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KenGen and NuPEA establishing a Joint Engagement Framework to guide national readiness for nuclear power. The agreement launches one of the most comprehensive public-engagement initiatives in Kenya’s energy history, aimed at building understanding, confidence, and preparedness as the country evaluates nuclear power as a future component of its energy mix. CS Wandayi emphasized that the partnership puts transparent communication and scientific accuracy at the centre of Kenya’s nuclear planning. “This MoU will deepen public awareness, strengthen stakeholder engagement, enhance institutional capabilities, and prepare the ground for a reliable low-carbon baseload option,” he said. KenGen Chairman Hon. Alfred Agoi welcomed the move saying: “KenGen has a long experience and expertise in construction, operation and maintenance of power plants ranging from Geothermal, hydro, wind, solar and now ready to lead the next phase to help Kenya develop its first nuclear power plant. ”KenGen Managing Director and CEO Eng. Peter Njenga said the collaboration aligns with the company’s long-term plan to help the country transition to a diversified, secure clean-energy system.
“Today’s agreement marks a bold step forward for Kenya’s energy security,” he said. “KenGen has led Kenya’s clean-energy evolution—from hydropower to geothermal and wind. Nuclear energy is the next frontier for nations seeking stable, affordable, low-carbon baseload power. Our partnership with NuPEA signals our readiness to play a central role in shaping Kenya’s energy future, anchored in industrial growth, job creation, and global competitiveness.” Eng. Njenga added that KenGen’s designation as the owner-operator of nuclear facilities will leverage the company’s public trust, operational depth, and national footprint. “This is not just a communication effort, it is a national preparation effort.
Our mandate is to ensure Kenyans have factual, accessible, and timely information as we evaluate this globally proven and highly regulated technology.” NuPEA CEO Justus Wabuyabo welcomed the partnership as a turning point in Kenya’s transition from planning to implementation readiness. Under the MoU, KenGen and NuPEA will establish a Joint Working Group responsible for: developing a national communication and public-engagement strategy, mapping key stakeholder groups across all counties, implementing nationwide public education and media campaigns, convening technical forums and expert dialogues, training journalists, county officials, educators, and community leaders on nuclear fundamentals, and creating a joint feedback and grievance-response mechanism aligned with global best practice The Framework will also support early-stage siting and land-related processes, with KenGen contributing expertise from decades of executing large-scale infrastructure projects. Both parties stressed that any siting activities will follow rigorous public-participation standards, continuous disclosure, and inclusive decision-making.
For consumers and investors, this translates into more predictable tariffs, cut power interruptions, and an help build an energy environment capable of supporting advanced manufacturing and digital industries.
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Note to Editor:
About KenGen
Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC - KenGen is the leading electricity generation company in the Eastern Africa region with an installed generation capacity market share of more than 60%. The company’s primary business is to provide safe, reliable, and competitively priced electric energy for the country in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner while creating value for its stakeholders.
Today, KenGen PLC has an installed generation capacity of 1,786 MW, of which over 90% is drawn from green sources namely: Hydro (826 MW), Geothermal (754MW), Wind (25.5 MW). The balance is from Thermal.
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