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The World Bank stopped financing of Nuclear power plants in 1965. Critics have opposed nuclear or atomic energy over feared risk. Others have said it is too costly for countries to fund nuclear reactors.

It comes in the wake of the historic inclusion of nuclear energy in the Global Stocktake agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023

At the conference hosted by the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai, countries called for accelerating the deployment of low-emission technologies including nuclear energy to help achieve deep and rapid decarbonization.

The entire project is estimated to cost over 604 trillion shillings.

While some have described Uganda’s nuclear/atomic energy ambitions as a huge gamble, Engineer Irene Batebe, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development said the project is on course and it is hoped that Uganda will have its first 2000-megawatt nuclear power plant running by the end of 2031.

President Museveni said the government has completed pre-feasibility studies for a 2000-Megawatt nuclear power project adding that Uganda must think of nuclear power because all the hydropower plants being constructed or soon to be constructed along river Nile will not be enough.

Ugandas nuclear energy ambitions were further boosted by the visit of six experts from International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA for the onsite mission to uranium rich districts in the country. Uganda plans to produce up to 30,000 Megawatts of electricity from its uranium by 2026.

Yukiya Amano is expected from 17th to 20th January 2018 to among other activities commission newly acquired radiotherapy machines at Uganda Cancer Institute.

The Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi has treated 102 cancer patients since the breakdown of the radiotherapy machine at the Uganda Cancer Institute-Mulago. The treatment at Agha Khan University Hospital in Kenya would have cost cost close to 700 million Shillings. However, the patients were not charged under the partnership.

Experts from several African countries are in Uganda to discuss how to safely apply nuclear technology in agriculture, energy generation and medication.

A survey of potential sites for nuclear power development was conducted by the Siting Working Group SWG comprising of experts from different Ministries and Departments. The results of the survey recommended areas around the Kyoga, Katonga and Aswa regions as the most suitable potential sites for nuclear stations and substations.