Kenya’s Lead Poisoning Victims Embark on Hunger Strike

Mombasa, a coastal city in Kenya, has seen a hunger strike by lead poisoning victims who are demanding a swift resolution to a case they brought against the government more than three years ago.

In a historic lawsuit against the government and a lead-smelting factory, the 3,000 residents of a Mombasa slum were awarded $12 million.

However, the funds were never distributed because the government challenged the High Court’s ruling.

On Wednesday, the locals of the coastal town marched with placards in hand to the town’s central plaza while yelling anti-government chants.

They claim to be going on a starvation strike until the Court of Appeal renders its decision on Friday.

The court has been charged by attorneys for the victims of delaying the decision several times without providing a justification.

The money was intended as restitution for those who perished as a result of the poisoning, for the treatment of additional victims, and for the cleanup of their settlement, none of which has yet taken place.