WINS Executive Director Lars van Dassen has visited key stakeholders in Kenya to strengthen partnerships and support for the country.
The Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority hosted Mr van Dassen for an interactive session with the staff at the central office in Nairobi. The meeting was opened and led by Director General James Keter Chumba. Other partners with whom WINS has worked closely also participated, including Director for Nuclear Security Isaac Mundia, Corporation Secretary Beth Mushi, Deputy Director for Licensing Michael Atogo, and Deputy Director for Human Resources Judy Kiptum.
He met with other relevant leaders in the country, including the Director for Metrology and Testing at the Kenyan Bureau of Standards, Henry Rotich, and Kenyan National Counter-Terrorism Centre Director-General Kibiego Kigen. Mr van Dassen also made a site visit to Kenyatta National Hospital’s Cancer Treatment Centre.
“It is crucial for African States to have agency and independence and an opportunity to choose the best technical opportunities and solutions,” Mr van Dassen said. “WINS is dedicated to providing support for organisations and authorities to take charge of their own competence in the nuclear security field.”
Mr van Dassen also attended a roundtable of WINS Academy Alumni and hear about their experiences as certified professionals. Participants from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Ministry of Interior and National Administration, Base Titanium, and Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency discussed progress, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing nuclear security training and curriculum development in Kenya.
WINS and the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority signed a memorandum of understanding in September 2024 to establish cooperation in areas related to nuclear security relevant to the use of nuclear energy, applications and technology. The agreement provides a framework for the two organisations to support information sharing and exchange, networking and to proactively facilitate the wider awareness and understanding of nuclear security issues in the region.
“The MoU we signed with WINS in September 2024 is a key step in positioning KNRA as a regional leader in nuclear security,” KNRA Director General Keter stated during the visit.
