Mombasa residents ask Nema to release report on lead poisoning

Medical personnel from the Health ministry and Center for Disease Control carry out blood tests for lead poisoning in Owino Uhuru slums in Mombasa on January 14, 2015. Victims of lead poisoning in the area are demanding compensation from the government for damage caused to their health and loss of life. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Residents have urged Nema to release an impact assessment report.
  • They are seeking compensation and treatment for the damage caused by a lead battery factory in the area.

Mombasa residents affected by lead poisoning want the National Environment Management Authority to release an impact assessment report done more than three years ago.

Owino Uhuru slum residents, a lobby group and lawyer Anthony Otiende said the report should be released to the public.

COMPENSATION

Mr Otiende assured locals they will not be relocated until the amount of lead in the soil is determined.

The matter is pending before court.

The residents are seeking compensation and treatment for the damage caused by a lead battery factory in the area. The factory was established to collect used batteries for smelting.

The petitioners claimed that since the factory started operations in 2006, there have been deaths attributed to lead poisoning.

“If Nema came to Owino Uhuru and did social impact assessment, the report should lead us to see what needs to be done in regard to the residents and whether they can be relocated or not,” Mr Otiende said.

“If you conduct an assessment it needs to be in the public domain, but since that has not happened, probably there must be an official explanation why the report is not yet out.”

HEALTH

Pamoja Trust’s programme officer James Ketta said a report from Nema is key to establish the impact of the poison.

The residents will be screened again before they are given a clean bill of health.

The lobby group said an earlier screening was not done at 100 per cent hence it was difficult to know the exact number of those affected.

He said they held a series of meetings with the locals who had agreed to be rescreened to ensure they were safe from the poison.

“The screening will be redone not only for the people but even the land they are living in. We are here to find out how they have been coping with situation since the discovery of lead poisoning in this area,” Mr Ketta said.

He said there were fears that most of them have the poison.

“Our discussions with them quickly revealed that we need to do a medical check-up for the entire community due to their concerns and others who have strange ailments,” he added during a meet-the-people tour on Saturday.

ISSUES

The officer said that the locals had agreed on issues that need quick address including that Nema releases to the public its environmental impact assessment report.

“Both the national and county government need to work in unison not only in screening the locals but even the land,” he said.

The Owino Uhuru Village sits on 13.5 acres with 3,000 residents.

Meanwhile, the Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action, which has been working with the residents on the issues of the poisoning since 2009, said 58 residents infected with lead poisoning are the most critical cases.

“Catherine Awuor Akello whose kidneys have failed is admitted in hospital and not one cent has been paid towards her bills. Frank Ademba is in a similar condition alongside 56 others,” said the lobby group’s executive director, Phyllis Omido.