Kenyan environmental activist and whistleblower Phyllis Omido discovered in 2009 that the smelting plant where she worked was poisoning the community with lead – including her infant son. She spearheaded an effort to get the plant shut down and won the community an unprecedented $12 million settlement. But state agencies are appealing the case and more than a decade after the poisoning was discovered, the victims have still received no compensation. Many in Mombasa’s poor Owino Uhuru neighbourhood are suffering from long-term effects like kidney and liver failure, with no money to pay for medical care. Omido joined us for Perspective.
More than a decade later, Kenya lead poisoning victims still waiting for compensation
By King Jaja
