ILPPWA Report 2020 from Department of Chemistry,

University of Nairobi, Kenya

A REPORT ABOUT THE 8

TH

INTERNATIONAL LEAD POISONING PREVENTION WEEK

OF ACTION IN KENYA, 26

TH

TO 31

ST

OCTOBER 2020

Kenya joined the Global Community in marking the 8

The theme of the event was “Intensified Campaigns to Ban the Import, Export, Manufacture, Sale and

Use of Lead Paint across the East African Region”. The events were aimed at advancing the

understanding, commitment, and actions towards the implementation and enforcement of the East

African Paint and Allied Product Standards for the total lead content of 90 ppm maximum. The specific

objective was to increase awareness of the health and environmental risks posed by lead paint exposure

in order to prompt action to implement the East African Paint and Allied Product Standards to phase

out lead in paint.

i) Article

The article by Dr. Faridah Were was published in the Nation Media Group titled “Enforce rules to

remove toxic paints from the Country” on 28

October 2020. The article and other related messages

The workshop was sponsored by Basco Paint Products Ltd and hosted by the Department of Chemistry

of the University of Nairobi on 29

th

October 2020 (Fig. 1). The forum served as a platform to advocate

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for lead free paint in respect to the established East Africa Paint Standards. It also provided opportunity

for the participants to demonstrate their commitments toward phasing out of lead in paint.

Fig. 1: The Banner for the Event

Participants

The participants were drawn from the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Industrial Research and

Development Institute, Kenya, Chemical Society, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of

The workshop began with playing of the video, the East African Community Anthem and then the

Kenyan Anthem. This was then followed by opening remarks by the statement of Dr. Maria Neira.

Video statement of Dr. Maria Neira, Director of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO:

https://www.who.int/campaigns/international-lead-poisoning-prevention-week/20

The Chairman of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Nairobi, John Prof. Onyari gave

welcoming and introductory remarks. In his speech he stated that the Department is a contributor to

lead paint alliance through Industry-University partnership, Research and Development, and outreach

programmes. He highlighted some of the related activities that are ongoing within the Department and

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concluded by saying that Covid-19 pandemic has posed many challenges, but has also provided

opportunities that allowed the Department to host this annual event beyond its borders.

The Chairman speech was followed by Video Documentary that detailed the National Lead Poisoning

Prevention Week of Action (NLPPWA) activities that were sponsored from 2013 up to date by Basco

the region towards the implementation of regulatory standards to phase out lead in paint, and this will

go a long way in protecting human health and the environment and also removing technical barriers to

trade. He reiterated by saying that collaboration is necessary to achieve this goal.

The Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice and Development, Me. Griffin Ochieng carried

through the Kenyan NGO Perspective in Phasing Out of Lead in Paint. He outlined some of the

activities that have been carried to eliminate lead in paint. This was thereafter followed by a

presentation from the Senior Program Officer Ms. Dorah Swai, the AGENDA for Environment and

Responsible Development, Tanzania about the NGO Perspective in Elimination of Lead of lead paint.

However, election was going on in her country she was not able to present but her Power Point

presentation was shared.

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Fig. 2: Automotive painting activities within residential areas.

She then highlighted on a study conducted by her student under supervision that evaluated levels of

lead and chromium in automotive paints sold for spray painting of vehicles, and found alarmingly high

levels of lead that exceeded the 90 ppm limit set by the East Africa Paints and Allied product standards.

Principal Standards Officer, Mr. Peter Namutala, of the Paints and Allied Product Standards at the

Kenya Bureau of Standards of presented a Synopsis on the Role of the East Africa Bureau of Standards

(KEBS) in Elimination of Lead in Paint. He started by outlining the role of KEBS, and the global

campaign that set a target of establishing legal limit to eliminate lead in paint by the year 2020, under

the leadership of UNEP and WHO. He reiterated by saying that this has been achieved through

establishment the East African paint and allied product standards and what is left is the implementation.

year 2013. He detailed some of the steps that are ongoing to ensure that they produce quality paint with

no added lead. This was then followed by video about four things about lead.

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Four things you should know about lead:

https://www.who.int/campaigns/international-lead-poisoning-prevention-week/2020#

The question and answer session followed the presentations. The participants from various organization

gave commitment remarks through the online “chat” that was read out by the moderator of the session.

This was followed by votes of thanks from the Department of Chemistry.

Dr. Faridah Hussein Were

The event coordinator

Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry of the University of Nairobi

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