Kenya is in the process of building its very first nuclear power station. According to forecasts by the Kenya Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA), construction is due to start by 2027 and will produce 1,000 MW of power. The town of Uyombo, in Kilifi county on the Kenyan coast, is one of three sites where NuPEA considers building the plant. Very quickly, a cry united the population: “Sitaki Nuclear,” no to nuclear power in Swahili. Demonstrations broke out, followed by a lawsuit filed by citizens, which was later dismissed, and a petition was also circulated online. But the project still seems to be going ahead, much to the dismay of residents and some environmentalists. Uyombo is located on the edge of the Mida Creek mangrove swamps, a few kilometers from the Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve, the largest remaining coastal forest in East Africa, recognized as a biodiversity hotspot due to the concentration of many endemic species and habitat loss. It lies in close proximity to Watamu National Marine Park and Reserve, recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve because of its coral reefs and the richness of its marine life, including whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and manta rays (Manta alfredi). What impact could this project have on this biodiversity? Peter Musila is a marine biologist and program coordinator with the NGO A Rocha Kenya. For the NGO, he monitors the state of the region’s corals and is involved in their restoration. As a coral specialist, he is livid about this…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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