Page 88 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 13

Innovate Afrika

Kenya being famous for `the Big 5` a nuclear power program. In 2015-
, Kenya is set to change the coun- The Tana River Nuclear Plant will 16 Zambia lost power capacity and
try from a tourism and agriculture be financed and constructed by the economy dropped by 40%.This
related economy to an industrialized China, Russia, South Korea and was a result of prolonged regional
economy capable of elliminating Slovakia. drought which made hydropower
poverty. ineffective.
EDGAR LUNGU`S ZAMBIA
“You, the Kenyan people, spoke clearly. We TO POWER THE FUTURE As key to initiating the nuclear
want dignity; we want to put enough food program, government started the
on our tables, and we want a lower cost Zambia under the presidency of Centre for Nuclear Science and
of living. I listened.I came up with four Edgar Lungu is rapidly constructing Technology which is a vehicle for
responses to your concerns. I call them the infrastructure and transforming the training personnel who will operate
Big Four: food security, affordable housing, physical economy. the plant and will advance Zambia
manufacturing, and affordable healthcare in science and technology.
for all.I am dedicating the energy, time and Head of Zambia`s Atomic Agency
resources of my Administration to the Big (ZAMATOMA), Dr Roland Msiska, The design, feasibility study and
Four. The Big Four will create jobs, which says: approvals for the project have been
will enable our people to meet their basic concluded but as of March 2020,
needs.” – President Kenyatta “Nuclear is the technology of finances are still being arranged
Zambia’s future”…”One nice thing between Zambia and Russia.
The 5 Year Plan aims to fast track about nuclear programme, because
the ellimination of poverty, ac- of the length in which you have to There are 2 phases of construction,
cording to Agenda 2030.The 4 Key plan, about 200 years, you’ll have to the first being the construction of
pillars are manufacturing, affordable think inter-generationally because a Center for Nuclear Science and
housing, universal healthcare and that’s four generations. That’s 20 Technology and the second phase
food security. Manufacturing is to presidents, if you are talking about will be construction of a nuclear
go up to 15% of GDP and create each president [serving for] 10 years. power plant of 2,400 megawatts
1 million new jobs, half a million You have to plan inter-generational- capacity.
affordable homes, 100% healthcare ly and implement inter-generation-
and 100% food security which will ally.” UGANDA
increase farmers` daily income by
34% and will reduce the cost of In April 2019, Dr Msiska led a del- In September 2019, Russia signed
food by 47%, as a percentage of egation of officials and journalists an agreement with Uganda for the
income. to the annual ATOMEXPO which development of nuclear power and
is held in Sochi, Russia, and run by related technology ( medical, agri-
The Plan promises to start 1000 new ROSATOM. The journalists were cultural and industrial applications).
agro-processing small and medium tasked with learning about nuclear
size enterprises and thereby create technology, including its multiple Uganda has large uranium deposits
over half a million new jobs. Agri- uses, medical and agricultural, apart but mining feasability studies have
culture is set to contribute 48% to from energy production. The jour- not been undertaken as yet. Ugan-
GDP. Malnutrition in children under nalist have since tackled the many da’s second National Development
5 is to reach the target of being misconceptions held by the public Plan and Vision 2040 includes plans
reduced by 27%. The Plan further on nuclear technology. to use uranium for nuclear power
promises to subsidize by 100% all Zambia wanted nuclear energy back stations by 2050.
essential healthcare and reduce out in 1969 but it wasn`t until 1980 that
of pocket medical expenses by 54% the IAEA allowed the first reseach
by percentage of household expen- laboratory.In 2006, the IAEA facil- NIGERIA
diture. itated with the creation of the Can-
cer Diseases Hospital and Nuclear In 2017 Nigeria and Russia signed
Kenya’s energy mix currently con- Medicine Centre. agreements on the construction and
sists of geothermal (45 %), hydro- operation of a nuclear power plant
power (28 %), wind (13 %) and Under the presidency of Edgar and a nuclear research centre. The
diesel-run generators (11 %) Lungu steps were taken to fast track research centre includes a research

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