NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Years after a lead-acid battery recycling plant closed in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, residents of Owino Uhuru say they are still suffering from lead poisoning, posing a growing public health risk as battery use surges in Africa’s clean energy boom.
Faith Mutama, 40, a mother of four, says her health has never improved.
“Life has never been the same,” she said, wiping her sweat. “I still struggle to do heavy work because I have trouble breathing. When I was tested in 2012, it was discovered that I had high lead levels in my blood.”
Experts warn that similar risks are emerging across Africa as the continent increases its adoption of renewable energy. A February report by the Center for Global Development, an independent think tank based in Washington and London, warned that the rapid expansion of off-grid solar power systems and battery storage, seen as critical to closing the energy access gap in Africa, is causing a surge in demand for battery recycling.
Much of that recycling takes place in informal or poorly regulated settings.
Contamination at Owino Uhuru dates back to 2007, when Kenya Metal Refineries EPZ, a local subsidiary of a Mumbai, India-based company, operated a lead-acid battery recycling plant within the settlement.
Residents claim that toxic waste from a factory exporting processed lead to India has seeped into the soil and water, causing widespread disease. More than 20 people have died related to this contamination. The factory was closed in 2014, but the damage remains.
Exposure to lead is associated with neurological damage, reduced cognitive development, and long-term health effects, especially in children whose brains are still developing.
In 2025, Kenya’s Supreme Court won a class-action lawsuit against a smelting company for about 3,000 residents and awarded damages of about $12 million, a rare legal victory for victims of industrial pollution. But activists say the state has failed to provide compensation in a timely manner.
“I’ve used up all my resources to treat myself, so I’m just waiting for help,” said Alfred Oguro, a 70-year-old village elder with a slightly slurred speech.
At one point, Oguro said, tests showed he had extremely high lead levels in his blood, leaving him with nerve damage and limited mobility.
“I can’t walk without a cane,” he says. “I am also suffering from severe chest pain and coughing from the toxic fumes I breathed here when the factory was still operating.”
Lead-acid batteries are widely used in many low-income markets because they are cheaper than alternative batteries such as lithium-ion batteries. But recycling them safely requires expensive infrastructure, which is often lacking. As a result, informal recyclers often use rudimentary methods that can release lead particles into the air, soil, and water.
“Off-grid solar power has the potential to account for a significant portion of batteries entering the recycling stream in Africa,” said Lee Crawford, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, who reviewed the report. “This is in addition to existing demand from vehicles such as cars and motorcycles.”
“Safe recycling is expensive, which creates a strong incentive to recycle in dangerous ways,” Crawford said, adding that banning lead-acid batteries is not realistic, so the solution is to make recycling safer.
Across Africa and South Asia, studies estimate that between one-third and half of children have elevated blood lead levels, making it one of the most widespread environmental global health risks. In many countries, weak enforcement of environmental regulations exacerbates the problem. While rules often exist, experts say their enforcement remains inconsistent.
“This is a silent threat,” Crawford said. “It is often invisible, but it impacts health, cognitive development, and economic productivity.”
This problem extends beyond small informal workshops. Even large facilities may lack proper controls, and accountability can be blurred in the global supply chain for recycled lead.
“There needs to be accountability throughout the supply chain,” Crawford said.
Progress is being made in some countries. South Africa, for example, has introduced a producer responsibility scheme that requires manufacturers to manage battery recycling, creating a more structured approach. But in many parts of the continent, particularly where batteries are imported rather than produced locally, determining who is responsible remains difficult.
International donors are increasingly supporting lithium-ion technologies that do not carry similar lead-related risks. However, lead-acid batteries are expected to remain widely used for many years to come, especially in off-grid solar power systems.
For the residents of Owino Uhuru, it is a living reality.
Phyllis Omido, who heads the Mombasa-based Center for Judicial Governance and Environmental Action (CJGEA) and helped residents file the case, said: “It is sad that the state has ignored the court’s order to prioritize the payment of compensation.” “These funds would have alleviated the suffering currently experienced by vulnerable residents.”
“Is it fair that we are still pursuing justice while the company is withdrawing?” said Mejumah Hassan Nyanje, 60, holding back tears. “Will we all die before justice is served? We feel abandoned. We feel like our lives and health don’t matter.”
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