Phyllis Omido had no idea she was an environmental defender when she started asking questions about why people in her community – including her own son – had started getting sick. After taking her son for various tests, which all turned out negative, she got him tested for lead poisoning, which turned out to be positive. It was at this point that she became aware of the devastating effects of lead in the environment. Her mission to alert the Kenyan government that a local smelting factory was releasing lead into the local water supply, and blanketing the area in toxic fumes, marked the beginning of 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,” said Omido.
