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Phyllis Omido from the coast region, known as East Africa’s ‘Erin Brockovich’ is one brave woman who has risen above harassment and threats to see that environmental justice prevails. Phyllis who started an environment related battle 8 years ago is about to make a breakthrough. The journey started when her breastfeeding son suffered from lead-related complications probably through her breastmilk.
In her community, people would often fall ill but Phyllis was the first to draw a connection between the illnesses and a local smelting industry. Her bid to alert the Kenyan government about the industry marked the beginning of harassments and threats in her life.
“I was beaten, arrested, and on a number of occasions jailed when I demanded to have the lead smelter shut down and the owners held accountable. Instead, they accused me of ‘inciting violence,” confessed Omido. All these tribulations did not stop her as she went ahead and founded an NGO, Centre for Justice, Governance, and Environmental Action which has since forced the closure of the plant and currently pushing to secure compensation for the victims.
Her NGO has mobilized thousands of local residents against the government and two coast based companies that are continually polluting the environment. She has since made so much progress seeing that she was set to have her big day in court on March 19, something she said was so far the biggest step since she started. On the court day, the plaintful
Among her many achievements, Phyllis Omido was awarded the Goldman Environmental prize in 2015 for organising protests against a lead-smelting plant in Owino Uhuru in Mombasa.
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