This archive report was first published on 18 December 2021.
Ship Ferrying Radioactive Material Impounded in Mombasa ¶
On December 17, 2021, the Kenyan government impounded a ship ferrying radioactive material at the port of Mombasa. The ship had arrived at the Kenyan coast four days earlier, on December 13, 2021.
According to officials at the port, the ship contained highly explosive material classified as dangerous for public exposure. Radiation monitors installed at the port detected the presence of this material.
Acting Director of Health, Patrick Amoth, and the Mombasa Port Health Officer directed the ship to be isolated in a safe location for inspection. A medical examination of the persons on board was also conducted before they were taken in for questioning.
The Ministry of Health notified the International Nuclear Energy Agency to take further action. Kenya has an international obligation to prevent, intercept, interdict, and combat illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear material and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
On the same day, President Uhuru Kenyatta underscored the importance of shipbuilding to the manufacturing pillar of the country's Big 4 development blueprint. He also emphasized the need for security at the port, as its activities are crucial in unlocking the country's immense ocean and blue economy potential.
President Kenyatta had commissioned the 4000-ton Mombasa Shipyard at the Kenya Navy Base in Mtongwe, Mombasa County, constructed by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). The shipyard was launched in May 2021 by President Kenyatta in Kisumu County.
