From the shores of Sanita Kitole’s quiet coastal town of Uyombo in southern Kenya, one can see dolphins bobbing in the water from time to time. The environmental activist has grown deeply attached to the biodiversity of his region, he says, located in Watamu Marine National Park. For several years now, he’s been working with community groups, especially women, to reforest mangroves and develop sustainable businesses in Mida Creek. But over the past two years, the town of Uyombo has made headlines, thanks to the government eyeing the area as the site for the first nuclear power plant in Kenya. According to NuPEA, the national nuclear power regulator, the country’s development ambitions could significantly increase its electricity needs, rendering the current electricity production, generated largely by hydropower, insufficient. The potential project has triggered anger among the largely fishing-dependent local population, who say they fear losing their land, their access to the sea, and their livelihoods. “[The proponent of the nuclear plant] just came here. They tell you this is the place that we have chosen to build the power plant. That’s all. And then you lose everything,” Kitole says. Residents also say the plan for managing radioactive waste is unclear to them, and highlight the project’s proximity to Watamu Marine National Park and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Protests have erupted over the plans. ​​“They didn’t involve us from the start, didn’t explain what nuclear energy is. When we asked questions, we got arrested,” Kitole says. But despite protests,…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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