Kenya wants to produce more of the specialised materials used in cancer diagnosis and treatment locally, through a proposed nuclear research reactor at Konza Technopolis.

Science, Research and Innovation Principal Secretary Prof Shaukat Abdulrazak has put the proposed investment at Sh80 billion, with the government seeking to implement it through a public-private partnership.

“This is one of the projects that we are going to undertake through this arrangement,” said the PS following a nuclear infrastructure review in Nairobi.

The ambition is to reduce reliance on imported medical isotopes and strengthen Kenya’s ability to provide specialised care. But what would the reactor actually produce—and how would patients benefit?

How a nuclear reactor helps a hospital

Research reactors can produce radioisotopes: radioactive forms of chemical elements used in medicine, research and industry.

Some help doctors examine organs and detect disease. Others are used in treatments that deliver radiation to diseased tissue.

NuPEA Chief Executive Officer Justus Wabuyabo identified molybdenum-99 among the isotopes the Konza facility would produce, KNA reported.

Its role needs explaining carefully. Molybdenum-99 produces technetium-99m, an isotope used in diagnostic scans, including those that help detect cancer spread to bones. It is therefore part of the medical imaging supply chain, rather than a general cancer cure.

Why local production matters

Kenya’s cancer burden gives the proposal significance.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer estimates that the country had 35,867 new cancer cases and 22,888 cancer deaths in 2024. Breast, cervical and prostate cancers accounted for approximately 38 per cent of new cases, calculated from the agency’s figures.

Local isotope production could make supplies for certain medical procedures more dependable. Some isotopes lose their radioactivity quickly, making transport time important.

Technetium-99m, for example, has a six-hour half-life—meaning half its radioactivity decays within six hours. Hospitals use generators containing molybdenum-99 to obtain it close to where it is needed.

For patients, the potential gain is a stronger supply system supporting scans and treatment. Whether that also lowers bills would depend on production costs, distribution and hospital charges.

Who would finance the project?

Abdulrazak said the government intends to use a public-private partnership, bringing private-sector participation into delivery of the proposed facility.

“Can you imagine if we have our own centres of producing medical isotopes, and we don’t need to import anymore?” he told KNA.

That describes the government’s ambition. The announcement does not, by itself, establish that financing has been secured or that construction is ready to begin.

More than a medical facility

NuPEA also identifies agricultural research, industrial testing and specialist training among the reactor’s intended uses.

Wabuyabo said it could help train personnel for Kenya’s planned nuclear power programme.

“Instead of taking all our engineers and scientists to study abroad we can utilize this research reactor as a training ground,” said the PS.

The Konza facility itself is intended for research and related applications, rather than supplying electricity to the national grid. NuPEA’s published information gives 2030 as its target commissioning year.

Safety assessments remain an essential part of its development. A January 2024 international review recommended further investigations into the proposed site, including flooding and geological fault hazards.

For Kenya, the opportunity is to build local expertise and a more reliable source of specialised medical materials. Delivering that benefit will require both a functioning reactor and hospitals equipped to use what it produces.