Second Lady Joyce Kithure calls for tougher action to eliminate lead exposure in Kenya
Dr Kithure, who is also a scientist and senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, said there is no safe level of lead exposure, urging the government to enforce a total ban on lead in all its forms.
Second Lady, Dr Joyce Kithure, has called for stronger national action to curb high levels of lead exposure in the country, warning that the toxic metal continues to threaten the health and future of millions of Kenyans.
Speaking on Friday during the 13th International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action at the University of Nairobi’s Chiromo Campus, Dr Kithure described lead as a “silent predator” that seeps unnoticed into daily life through paints, toys, road markings, and other products.
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“Lead is not merely an entry on the Periodic Table. It is invisible, odourless and relentless. It infiltrates our homes through peeling paints, our schools through crumbling walls, our streets through road markings, and even in our children’s toys,” she said.
Dr Kithure, who is also a scientist and senior lecturer at the University of Nairobi, said there is no safe level of lead exposure, urging the government to enforce a total ban on lead in all its forms.
“Let us ensure that ‘lead-free’ is not just a slogan on a banner, but a standard enforced in every factory, every hardware store, every classroom, and every home,” she said, calling on policymakers, scientists, parents, and teachers to unite in ending the crisis.
She noted that lead poisoning remains a silent public health emergency, impairing children’s brain development, lowering IQ, damaging organs, and causing lifelong harm.
"Lead poisoning remains a silent public health crisis. It does not announce itself with pain or fever; it seeps quietly into the bloodstream, impairing the development of young minds, lowering IQ, damaging organs, and stealing futures before they even begin," stated the second lady.
The Second Lady also said the government is working with all the stakeholders to achieve a lead-free nation, highlighting the ban on leaded paints and fuel, better enforcement of compliance standards, monitoring of lead levels in water, soil, and manufactured products, and promoting public awareness on safe waste management and recycling practices.
“Government action alone is not enough; it is the synergy between researchers, policymakers, industries, and communities that will deliver real change,” she said.
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