A Kenyan court has thrown out a $12 million award to victims of lead poisoning in the coastal city of Mombasa.
The harmful chemical, which affected at least 3,000 people, emanated from a battery recycling factory.
On Friday, Court of Appeal judges ordered a retrial at the environment court on damages payable to the victims. They said the retrial should consider additional evidence.
The residents of the slum settlement of Owino Uhuru won the payout in 2020 following a ten-year legal battle led by environmental activist Phyllis Omido.
In the lawsuit, they argued that fumes and discharge from the plant had affected the health of residents, including children.
Government agencies – found to have been negligent, as well as the directors of the company – were ordered to pay the award. But they appealed against the ruling leading to Friday's verdict.
