![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/922ffe4e-5e51-462b-8e32-a0f58c909a84.webp\")
Ombudsman Charles Dulo during a past event\/FILE<\/p>\nOmbudsman Charles Dulo during a past event\/FILE<\/p>\n
The Commission on
\nAdministrative Justice has moved to clarify its role in growing
\nconcerns surrounding the proposed nuclear power project in Siaya,
\nsaying it is handling two separate access-to-information cases while
\nremaining neutral on whether the project should proceed.<\/p>\n
Commission
\nChairperson Charles Dulo said the Ombudsman had received complaints
\nand concerns from community groups questioning access to information,
\npublic participation, land acquisition, environmental safeguards, and
\nnuclear safety.<\/p>\n
In a press statement
\nissued Tuesday, Dulo said the concerns were raised during a meeting
\nwith representatives of the Friends of Siaya Anti-Nuclear Plant
\nInterim Coordinating Committee and other community members.<\/p>\n
The meeting followed
\nconcerns surrounding a planned \u201cOccupy Kisumu Ombudsman Office\u201d
\npeople’s march.<\/p>\n
Dulo said residents
\nhad expressed anxiety over the status, scope, location, and possible
\nimplications of the proposed nuclear project and demanded timely
\ndisclosure of information by relevant public institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concerns
\npresented were broad, but largely centred on access to information
\nand meaningful public participation; the potential acquisition of
\nland, valuation, compensation, resettlement and protection of
\nlivelihoods,\u201d Dulo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey also raised
\nconcerns about environmental and social safeguards, including
\npotential impacts on the Lake Victoria Basin, and nuclear safety,
\nemergency preparedness and radioactive waste management.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the
\nOmbudsman cautioned that the allegations presented by the community
\nhad not been established.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish to
\nemphasise that these are concerns and allegations presented to the
\nCommission by the representatives and no finding has been made on
\ntheir veracity,\u201d Dulo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere specific
\ncomplaints are brought before us, we will examine the facts and
\nevidence and determine whether the matters fall within our
\nconstitutional and statutory mandate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Commission is
\ncurrently dealing with two separate Access to Information matters
\nrelated to the proposed project.<\/p>\n
The first involves
\nthe Friends of Siaya Anti-Nuclear Plant Interim Coordinating
\nCommittee and the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA).<\/p>\n
According to Dulo,
\nFSANP lodged an application for review with the Commission on August
\n24 after receiving a consolidated response from NuPEA regarding an
\nearlier request for information on the proposed Siaya Nuclear Energy
\nProject.<\/p>\n
The group had sought
\ninformation covering site selection, technical and feasibility
\nstudies, environmental and social assessments, land acquisition,
\nresettlement, livelihoods, nuclear safety, radioactive waste
\nmanagement, public participation, financing and procurement.<\/p>\n
NuPEA responded to
\nthe request on August 20, addressing several issues and providing
\naccess to a repository containing some of the requested documents.<\/p>\n
However, FSANP
\nsubsequently complained that some information had not been provided
\nand requested additional disclosure and the transfer of some requests
\nto other relevant public institutions.<\/p>\n
Among the documents
\nsought are the Strategic Environmental Assessment Report, review
\ncomments by the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment
\nand the KenGen Resettlement and Compensation Framework.<\/p>\n
Dulo said the
\napplication was filed within the statutory period and remained under
\nreview.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs at August 31,
\nonly seven days had elapsed since the application was received. The
\nmatter remains within the statutory review process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA ruling is
\ncurrently being prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n
The second matter
\ninvolves the Western Kenya Social Justice Centres Working Group,
\nacting on behalf of the Our Energy, Our Voice Campaign, and the
\nCounty Government of Siaya.<\/p>\n
The group had
\nrequested information from the county government in March concerning
\nthe project’s status, consultations, environmental and technical
\nstudies, risk assessments, emergency preparedness, public
\nparticipation, land acquisition and county-level decisions.<\/p>\n
After an alleged
\nfailure to receive a response, the matter was referred to the
\nCommission.<\/p>\n
Dulo said the County
\nGovernment of Siaya later informed the Commission that it did not
\npossess correspondence, agreements, reports, studies or other records
\nrelating to the proposed nuclear plant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe County
\nGovernment further stated that it had not undertaken, commissioned or
\nreceived environmental, social, economic, technical or feasibility
\nstudies concerning the proposed project,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dulo emphasised that
\nthe two cases were separate and should not be conflated.<\/p>\n
He also made it
\nclear that the Ombudsman was neither supporting nor opposing the
\nproposed nuclear power project.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cOur role is not
\nto determine whether Kenya should have a nuclear power plant, whether
\nSiaya should host one, or whether the technical merits of the project
\nwarrant implementation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur
\nresponsibility is to ensure that public institutions act lawfully,
\nfairly, transparently and accountably, and that citizens are able to
\nexercise their constitutional and statutory rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dulo urged residents
\nto continue documenting concerns and submit evidence where they
\nbelieve there has been maladministration, unfair administrative
\naction or denial of access to information.<\/p>\n
\u201cCitizens have a
\nright to ask questions, a right to seek information, a right to
\nparticipate and a right to fair administration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPublic
\ninstitutions have a responsibility to listen, respond and account for
\nthe manner in which they exercise public power.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ombudsman Charles Dulo during a past event\/FILE The Commission on
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