Ship with lethal radioactive materials detained by the Government of Kenya

Cabinet Secretary for health Mutahi Kagwe, has confirmed that the Government has quarantined a ship reported to be carrying radioactive material for fear of poisoning citizens.

The ship Seago Piraeus Voy 1475 B/L214735979 container emission threatens the health and lives of Kenyans by emission of radioactive materials.

"The ship should be quarantined for the purposes of inspecting any part and also conduct medical examination on any person on board," Kagwe said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital city.

He noted that any person on the ship will be required to answer questions in accordance with the Kenya public health act.

Kagwe said that the Kenya Nuclear and Regulatory Authority (KNRA) will inspect the content of the container to determine the radioactive material in question, possible quantity and position within the cargo container.

He noted that 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, having ratified international instruments.

Radioactive pollution is known to have a wide spectrum of negative effects on human beings, such as:

Genetic Mutations as a Result of Exposure to Radioactive Waste

When speaking of genetics, radiation is known to pose a wide spectrum of detrimental consequences. Radioactive pollution causes damage to DNA strands, which over time can lead to some forms of genetic breakup.

Development of Diseases due to Radioactive Pollution Exposure

The most common disease that arises in people that have been exposed to radioactive pollution is cancer. Other dangerous diseases that might be brought on by exposure to radioactive waste include anaemia, leukaemia, haemorrhages, and cardiovascular diseases.

Radioactive Pollution and Cell Damage

Radioactive contamination has numerous consequences when it comes to cell modification. The bodies of living organisms are unique in the sense that there are millions of cells in each body, where each cell has a specific function to serve.