Kenya has been given the go ahead to host the IAEA PGEC course after a visit by IAEA team of experts, that had been deployed to assess Kenya’s preparedness for the programme.The objective of the course is to provide foundation training in radiation protection and the safety of radiation sources. It is designed to provide both theoretical and practical training in the multidisciplinary scientific and/or technical bases of international recommendations and standards on radiation protection and their implementation.

Kenya will be the second country in Africa to host the programme for English-speaking after Ghana which has hosted the programme 12 times. The five-month course targets professionals at the graduate level or equivalent and will start in October 2023.

The Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA) will be the host of the programme and will oversee preparations in a process where KEBS, Kenyatta University,Kenyatta University Teaching and Refferral Hospital, local education Intitutions and medical institutions will take lead roles.

IAEA visiting experts Sotiris Economides of Greece and Ghana’s Prof Augustine Faanu who had led the weeklong pre-course assessment presented their findings to KNRA Director General James Keter, Director Licensing and Standards Shadrack Kiti, Director for Partnerships and Public Awareness Edward Mayaka, Dr Sitawa Wattanga representing Multimedia University, Dr Nadir Hashim of Kenyatta University and guests from the Kenya Bureau of Standards,Kenyatta National Hospital and the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA).