19 Sep 2009

Kenya has been reelected to join the board of directors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after an absence of 26 years.

A strong team led by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Higher Education Minister Sally Kosgei lobbied for Kenya's membership at the 53rd IAEA conference.

Musyoka, who addressed the congress on Monday, asked member states to consider the country's application to join the board.

"We continue to have serious power shortages and because of climate change, every indication is that we must move away from dependency on hydro-electric power if we are to become self-sufficient. Nuclear energy will be essential for our development in future," Musyoka said.

Kenya was a board member of the 35-member agency in 1983. Cameroon was also readmitted to IAEA on Friday.

presstv