This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
On July 16, 2020, the Environment and Land Court in Mombasa made a landmark ruling in favor of residents of Owino Uhuru, directing the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to compensate them for lead poisoning.
The court awarded KSh 1.3 billion to the victims, who had been suffering from the effects of lead poisoning emanating from a smelting plant in the area.
The case, which had been ongoing since 2016, was brought by Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action founder Phyllis Omido on behalf of the victims.
Omido listed close to 3,000 people from 580 households, including former workers of Kenya Metal Factory, who had been affected by the heavy metals emitted by the plant.
The residents had demanded KSh 1.6 billion in compensation to enable them to seek specialized treatment for their medical complications.
Justice Anne Omollo found all the accused parties, including NEMA, Environment and Health ministries, Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), and Penguin Paper and Book Company, liable for the harm caused to the residents.
The court also ordered the state agencies in charge of the environment to clean up the area and remove all the affluent materials, or pay KSh 700 million in default.
