President William Ruto has announced that Kenya plans to generate between 2,000MW and 5,000MW of nuclear power from a plant to be established in Siaya County, positioning Nyanza as a major electricity-producing region. The announcement came during his development tour of the region, as Kenya seeks to expand generation capacity to support economic growth and industrialisation.
The Siaya project was previously presented as a 2,000MW plant, with construction targeted to begin in 2027 and commissioning expected in 2034. Ruto has also set a broader target of increasing Kenya’s installed electricity capacity from about 3,300MW to at least 10,000MW within five to seven years, with nuclear expected to contribute significantly to that expansion.
The government sees nuclear power as a source of reliable electricity for industrialisation and economic development, alongside Kenya’s existing renewable energy resources. The Nuclear Power and Energy Agency is working with the Kenya Electricity Generating Company and international partners as Kenya advances technical, regulatory and environmental preparations for its first nuclear plant.
The proposed project has also attracted questions over safety, environmental impact, land, compensation and community benefits. Ruto said the government would engage Siaya residents on the project, while NuPEA has pledged greater transparency and evidence-based public engagement as the programme progresses through the IAEA Milestone Approach.