Authority develops nine sets of drafts on Nuclear Regulation

 

Stakeholders follow proceedings during a public participation process today in Kisumu on the nine sets of Draft  Nuclear Regulatory Act Regulations, 2022  which has been developed by the Kenya Nuclear Regulation Authority targeting regulation of nuclear in the country-Photo and story By Dickson Odhiambo

April 27, 2022

Authority develops nine sets of drafts on Nuclear Regulation

The Kenya National Regulatory Authority {KNRA} has developed nine sets of drafts targeting regulation of nuclear in the country.

The nine sets of Draft Nuclear Regulatory Act Regulations, 2022 as provided for in Section 98 of the National Regulatory Authority is aimed at facilitating the effective implementation of the provisions of the NRA Act.

Addressing the stakeholders during the public participating process held in Kisumu today, The Kenya National Regulatory Authority interim Chairman Prof Dickson Andala said the development of the nine regulations will guarantee safety and security in the use of radiation and nuclear technologies through the implementation of the NRA 2019.

He says some of the nine draft nuclear regulation act regulations include security of nuclear material and associated regulations that will apply to nuclear materials, facilities associated with nuclear materials, activities associated with nuclear materials specifically its use, storage, transport and authorized persons.

He says the other ones include foodstuffs regulations and radioactive waste management regulations which will apply to food stuffs imported into the country with an aim of bringing into effect provisions of the Act relating to the safety of foodstuffs as well as establishing the limits of radioactivity levels in foodstuffs for human or animal ingestion.

“Increased use of radioactive materials in all our socio-economic sectors has led to stockpiles of medium and long-lived radioactive waste that is now a challenge to the generators and concern for authorities and stakeholders especially the public,” he says.

Andala adds that the other regulation on nuclear include radioactive consumer product regulation that apply to radioactive consumer products imported into the country and activities of providers of radioactive consumer products.

The others include emergency preparedness and response regulation and Ionizing Radiation safety regulation.

He further says the other also include physical protection of radioactive materials and non-ionizing radiation safety regulation.

On safe transport of radioactive material regulation, the Authority says Section 63 of the National Regulation Act mandates Kenya National regulatory Authority to come up with regulations that pertain to safe transport of radioactive material.

“Illegal transfer or other malicious acts involving radioactive/nuclear material, or their associated facilities has been on the rise especially so in this era of global terrorism,” He further says.