The Owino Uhuru residents in Mombasa’s Jomvu constituency are in danger.
This is after a mysterious fire gutted 10 houses in the estate at around 1 am on Thursday.
The estate which got international attention after a landmark ruling in July last year needs protection, a human rights activist has said.
Speaking to the Star on Friday, Activist Phyllis Omido said her quest for justice for the residents will not be shaken despite the many intimidation tactics and threats against her.
She is the one who initiated and won a suit on behalf of the community leading to the government and owners of a lead factory being ordered to pay the residents Sh1.3 billion in compensation.
The suit was filed after the residents were poisoned by lead from the Metal Refinery Ltd, which has since been shut down.
Omido said the lives of over 3,000 residents are in danger.
According to Omido, some unidentified people were seen fleeing shortly after the fire started.
“Luckily, the arsonists started torching houses that were nearer the main road and so access to them by the fire brigades was easy,” Omido said.
She accused unnamed people of trying to intimidate the residents into dropping their pursuit of justice.
The estate which has a population of about 3,300 people, is located along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway in Jomvu constituency and its children and residents have been sickened and killed by lead from the battery smelting plant that had been operating in the area.
Wilfred Kamenjo, a resident, and Anastacia Nambo, a community representative, said there have been threats by unknown people ever since last year’s ruling.
“Some people have reported being told to leave the area or face the consequences. Others have had people visit them in the wee hours of the night only for people to ask a few questions about the case and then leave,” Nambo said.
Kamenjo, who was under witness protection program during the court case for five months, said some unfamiliar youth have been seen in the estate over the recent past.
Omido said the threats, including a December 9 attack on one of the community liaisons, were reported at Mikindani police station under OB 39/9/12/2020 and OB 41/09/12/2020.
Nema has appealed the ruling but government agencies in the suit, including EPZ Authority, the Health Ministry, Environment Ministry and the Attorney General, have not.
Omido said this is not the first time a mysterious fire has been witnessed in the estate, ever since the class suit was instituted in 2016.
“That year, a mysterious fire gutted around four houses twice in the same night,” she said.
The court in July last year ordered that the government and owners of the Metal Refinery Limited, that was shut down in March 2014 after operation for seven years, pay the residents Sh1.3 billion and use another Sh700 million to clean up the estate in 90 days.
Omido used to work at the smelter as a community relations manager in 2009.
She, however, quit after three months after her baby fell sick.
Doctors found lead in her son’s blood and they said he might have ingested it from her breast milk.
Police say they have launched investigations into the incident.
Although no casualty was reported, the fire has left about 30 families with no shelter and clothes.
Police say it is possible the fires started simultaneously and are not ruling out arson.
“We have nothing conclusive at the moment but our probe will reveal the truth. Truth always comes out,” said a detective who sought anonymity.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris