The Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) has made a bold legislative bid to expand its mandate, seeking to take control of the disposal of electronic waste containing radioactive components. This move comes as the country grapples with a surging tide of e-waste, much of which poses invisible but deadly health risks to the unsuspecting public.

Appearing before the Senate ICT Committee, KNRA officials argued for critical amendments to the Electronic Equipment Disposal, Recycling and Reuse Bill, 2025. Their argument is simple yet urgent: not all e-waste is created equal. While a broken toaster is an environmental nuisance, discarded medical equipment or industrial gauges containing nuclear material are a public health hazard that standard recycling protocols cannot handle.

The Toxic Burden of Progress

The statistics are alarming. Kenya generates between 3,000 and 4,000 tonnes of waste daily, with the capital, Nairobi, alone responsible for over 2,500 tonnes. Buried within this mountain of refuse are devices that emit ionizing radiation—legacy equipment from hospitals, agricultural research centers, and construction sites.

"The general definition of e-waste in the Bill includes devices that may contain radioactive materials," explained John Opar, KNRA’s Director of Compliance. "The disposal of such waste must be safely done as per the provisions of the Nuclear Regulatory Act." The regulator is pushing for a "convergence and departure" model, where standard e-waste is handled by environmental agencies, but anything ticking on a Geiger counter falls strictly under KNRA's jurisdiction.

• The Risk: Improper disposal can lead to radiation sickness, environmental contamination, and long-term cancer risks for scavengers and communities living near dumpsites like Dandora.
• The Solution: A legal exclusion in the new Bill that routes hazardous nuclear e-waste to specialized facilities, such as the one in Oloolua, rather than general landfills.
• The Oversight: KNRA wants to retain regulatory powers over any material that poses a radiological threat, ensuring a chain of custody from decommissioning to final burial.

Legislating Safety

The Senate committee, led by Allan Chesang, is now tasked with harmonizing these laws. The goal is to create a seamless framework where innovation does not outpace safety. As Kenya accelerates its adoption of nuclear technology—including plans for a nuclear power plant by 2034—the volume of radioactive waste is set to rise.

This legislative push is a proactive step to prevent a future environmental catastrophe. By drawing a clear line in the sand now, the regulator aims to ensure that Kenya’s digital and industrial revolution does not leave a toxic legacy for future generations.