AFRICA LOOKS TO TURN ON NUCLEAR POWER.

http://www.voanews.com/content/kenya-pursuing-nuclear-power-despite-the-risks/1880247.html http://www.voanews.com/content/africa-looks-to-nuclear-power-to-light-up-continent/1880377.html South Africa is expanding its nuclear power capacity while Kenya, Nigeria and other African countries are swiftly developing their nuclear power programmes. But, some parts of the world hold the notion that Africa’s capability to turn on nuclear power is limited attributing it to high investment costs to put up nuclear power plants, inadequacy to manage nuclear spent fuel and radiation risks among others. Developing nations borrow a lot from the developed world and this influences the development paths they follow. Nuclear power being a unique development cause, newcomer countries tend to borrow from both successful and unsuccessful countries which have pursued it. No single country has had a smooth nuclear power programme and Kenya’s pursuit of nuclear technology for electricity generation is expected to attract doubts from critics who will also measure its capacity to develop nuclear power against the nuclear success or failure of developed nations. For instance, critics feel that if Germany has decided to phase out nuclear power, Kenya cannot pull through. Nevertheless, the same critics know very well that fossil fuels and ‘traditional’ sources of electricity cannot satisfy the growing domestic and industrial demands for energy.