PRESS STATEMENT 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STATEMENT ON THE ASSAULT AND ARREST OF KILIFI RESIDENTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN UYOMBO.

Nairobi, 22nd May 2024.

The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Coalition) to strongly condemn the recent violent actions, assaults, and arrests of residents and human rights defenders in Uyombo, Kilifi county when they exercised their right to peaceful protest. The community was opposed to a ground-breaking ceremony organized for the commencement of the proposed Sh500 billion nuclear power plant. The local community have long opposed the project due to its potentially devastating environmental and socio-economic impacts.

Eyewitness reports and footage from the area reveal armed police officers used excessive force including the use of tear gas, the beating of men, women, and children using batons and destruction of property. Numerous community members sustained injuries that required medical attention. They were detained at police stations without access to medical personnel. Some human rights defenders and family were also arrested when they went to check on their detained colleagues. 

IMLU and Defenders Coalition is concerned with the use of violence, arbitrary arrest, and detention to punish and intimidate the community and activists for voicing their concerns over environmental impact of the project. We demand the immediate release for the detained or be accessed by their family and lawyers. 

The proposed nuclear project or any other project require community engagement and the government to address community concerns. The concerns raised by the community are profound, given the proposed site is an ecologically sensitive area, encompassing the Watamu Marine National Park, Mida Creek, and the Arabuko Sokoke Forest. The community is further concerned with the nuclear plant’s negative impact on tourism and the livelihoods of local residents. The community is further concerned with their displacement without proper or adequate compensation or consultation. 

IMLU and Defenders Coalition stands in solidarity with the residents of Uyombo, Kilifi County and their call for environmental justice and human rights. The government  approach in Uyombo, undermines the principles of transparency and accountability that should guide such significant projects. We urge the government, the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) to halt the project until a comprehensive and inclusive consultation process is undertaken. The voices of the affected community must be heard, and alternative energy sources, such as geothermal, solar, and wind, should be explored to ensure sustainable and less controversial solutions.

We call on local leaders to be at the forefront demanding an inclusive stakeholders consultations that include relevant government departments, environmental institutions and defenders, and concerned citizens, to join us in advocating for the rights of Uyombo residents. The use of underhand tactics, force, and intimidation to impose the nuclear power plant project is unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest terms.

IMLU and Defenders Coalition remains committed to advocating for justice, accountability, and the protection of human rights for all.

Signed

Wangechi Grace Kahuria

Executive Director

Kamau Ngugi

Executive Director