Victims of lead poisoning awarded Ksh 1.3b compensation

3000 victims of lead poisoning from Owino Uhuru slums in Changamwe Mombasa will receive Ksh 1.3 billon compensation awarded by the Environment Court.  

Speaking Friday during a fact finding mission the Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action [CJGEA] Executive Director Phyllis Omido said she was a victim of the lead poison by a battery manufacturing factory TRC Ltd that led to the formation of the environmental action body.

She said they had embarked on a four years’ court battle leading to Thursday’s ruling by Justice Anne Omollo in Mombasa.

Omido said residents have been suffering from effects of the poisonous substance since 2009 when four children tested positive after investigations.

She claimed that water and soils samples tested turned positive for lead after people started complaining of health complications some with visible symptoms of the poison according to medical reports.

Omido appealed to the Government to team up with the people, compensate victims to buy medications.

“The court gave the company 120 days to clean up the environment or risk paying an additional Ksh. 700 million to the locals to carry out the cleaning.

Omido said if the payment is made, each of the victims will walk home with Ksh17million which will help them purchase drugs and cater for long lasting remedies from the effects of the poison.

Jackson Wanyama who was an employee at the TRC Company lost two children from the ravages of the complications related to lead poisoning.

Stephen Okelo on the other hand lost his six year-son Samuel Omondi in 2016 after a long battle with diseases related to the poison.

Irene Akinyi is ailing and frequents the hospital with a swollen neck and fevers after she tested for lead in 2009.

“I have faith since I will get medicine, afford kidney transplant and dialysis according to doctors recommendations” said Irene adding that she cannot afford medicine or the medical procedures or even food rich in calcium such as milk and bananas to lower the impacts of lead which is at level 420 in her blood and life threatening.