Slum dwellers to be tested for lead poisoning as senate probes factory

Mombasa, Kenya: Public health officials have announced the need for lead poisoning tests in a Mombasa slum due to concerns over exposure to emissions from a nearby factory. The recommendation is based on a screening that found abnormally high levels of the toxic metal in three children from Uhuru Owino slums in Changamwe.

The Senate’s health committee joined public health officials in appealing to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and public universities to assist in carrying out tests on soil and water for lead, and the screening of the estimated 5,000 slum residents.