Award winning activist to sue firm
What you need to know:
- Speaking at Moi International Airport on her arrival, Ms Omido said the fight for justice for the slum dwellers harmed by the poisonous factory was far from over.
- Ms Omido was among six recipients of the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, the world’s largest award for grassroots environmental activists.
- She received Sh15.7 million in recognition of her campaign.
International award winning environmental activist Phyllis Omido returned to the country on Monday and announced plans to sue those associated with a hazardous lead factory at Owino Uhuru estate in Mombasa County.
Speaking at Moi International Airport on her arrival, Ms Omido said the fight for justice for the slum dwellers harmed by the poisonous factory was far from over.
She asked the national government’s Public Health department to reveal the findings of the blood samples they took from the residents for testing.
“We started this journey in 2009. It was in 2014 that our voice was finally heard. Some of us have slept in cells and have been charged with incitement, but today, the truth has set us free. The award is a sign that our five-year battle has been recognised,” she said. Ms Omido claimed that some people had been issuing threats to the residents.
“If they are men enough, let them come to Owino Uhuru estate and stand with us. Issues of threatening the residents must stop. We want everything to be open,” she said.
Ms Omido was among six recipients of the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, the world’s largest award for grassroots environmental activists. She received Sh15.7 million in recognition of her campaign.
