NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan activists have protested the plans for a joint venture between the Kenyan and Chinese governments to mine coal and open a coal-fired power plant in Lamu County, saying it will have devastating effect on the environment and health of the local populations.

Kenya is set to build a 981.5 megawatt coal-fired plant to generate electricity in the Manda Bay area of Lamu County. Kenya needs to increase its capacity to generate electricity to keep up with demand.

Protesters Hussein Khaled said Tuesday that coal energy was being abandoned elsewhere in the world because of the bad effects it has on the environment and the health of populations surrounding the mines.