Kenya and the United States are set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on nuclear cooperation at the upcoming International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in September.

The MoU will promote the exchange of expertise in nuclear policy, research, and regulation in energy, health, and agriculture, it emerged after a meeting in Nairobi between nuclear regulators from both countries.

Kenya has targeted launching construction on its first nuclear power plant in 2027, which would have the capacity to generate 1,000 MW. Following years of pre-feasibility studies, last year identified two prospective sites for an NPP, which it hopes will help meet rising demand for electricity as the country angles to be a middle-income economy by 2030.

Kenya-US collaboration in nuclear energy has been expanding, as evidenced by President William Ruto's recent State visit to the US. During his visit, he and President Joe Biden discussed partnerships focused on clean energy and resilience, including efforts to enhance US-Africa cooperation in the nuclear industry, Energy Central News reported on August 28.

Kenya anticipates the 1,000-MW plant will cost KES500bn ($3.87bn) to build and aims for its completion by 2034. The project is currently in the preparatory phase, the Standard newspaper reported on August 28.

Meanwhile, Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) director general James Keter emphasised the need for international help “to strengthen our regulatory framework and guide the development of 15 new regulations associated with the Nuclear Regulatory Act of 2019 through public participation”.

KNRA chairman Omondi Anyanga expressed confidence in the MoU’s benefits. “We are confident this agreement will yield significant benefits,” he said. “We have made considerable progress and are eager to continue our collaboration with the US.”

The announcement was made during the US-Africa Summit in Kenya, which brought together experts and leaders to discuss energy solutions.

Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak of the IAEA highlighted the urgency for Africa to embrace nuclear energy to meet growing demands and achieve low-carbon goals. “Africa has numerous easy opportunities that it should be prepared to take advantage of,” he said

China, Russia, Slovakia and South Korea have all forged agreements with Kenya to help Nairobi develop its first NPP. Russia’s state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom, along with various Chinese companies, has been actively courting Nairobi to provide the necessary nuclear technology for the project, CK reported on January 3, 2023.