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Kenyan village awarded $12 million in a lawsuit over lead poisoning

samrack July 18, 2020

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Phyllis talking with children from the community who are suffering from lead poisoing. In the background is the wall to the factory which is located right next to the family's home. The children play in the dirt next to the factory wall - the soil is contaminated.

Kenyan village awarded $12 million in a lawsuit over lead poisoning

A Kenyan community whose children and residents were sickened by lead from a battery smelting plant has been awarded $12 million (1.3 billion Kenyan shillings) following a civil lawsuit.

The court ordered the government to clean up Owino Uhuru, a village on the outskirts of Mombosa, within four months and gave the relevant agencies 90 days to pay out the compensation money.

Thursday’s ruling comes after years of grassroots work by environmental activist Phyllis Omido, who launched a legal challenge against the government and the smelting plant owners, accusing them of violating of Kenyan environmental and human rights law and exposing the community to lead poisoning.

Omido told CNN that Thursday’s ruling is a validation of her and the village resident’s resolve to receive justice. READ MORE

Source: https://www.cnn.com/