Dr. Joyce Kithure calls for stronger measures to prevent lead poisoning

Spouse of the Deputy President Dr. Joyce Kithure has called for a stronger focus on preventing lead exposure, urging stakeholders to translate scientific research into practical interventions to protect public health, particularly among children.

Speaking at the University of Nairobi’s Chiromo Campus during the opening of the 14th International Lead Poisoning Prevention Wee of Action, Dr Kithure said efforts to combat lead poisoning must move beyond identifying contamination to preventing exposure before it causes harm.

Dr Kithure, a scientist, said coordinated action involving government agencies, researchers, industry players and communities was necessary to reduce exposure and strengthen environmental safety.

The national event, held from October 18 to 24, 2026, under the global theme From Detection to Prevention, was hosted by the University of Nairobi’s Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science and Technology, in collaboration with national and international partners. The main proceedings took place on Friday, October 23.

A key milestone was the commissioning of the university’s new Exposure Science and Chemometrics Laboratory (ESCL), which is expected to strengthen Kenya’s capacity to analyse lead and other heavy metals, test consumer products for contamination and support research into environmental exposures.

The laboratory was renovated with support from ESTEC Limited and equipped with assistance from Pure Earth, Vital Strategies and the Lead Exposure Intervention Project, funded by the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), alongside principal investigators from the University of Washington and the University of Nairobi’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

The facility will also support postgraduate training and expand the country’s scientific capacity to identify and assess sources of lead exposure.

The opening ceremony further featured the presentation of a national policy brief, Moving from Detection to Prevention of Lead-Based Pigments to Mitigate Diverse Sources of Lead Exposure in Kenya, to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Kenya’s national focal point for the Global Framework on Chemicals.

The brief advocates for supply-chain tracking under Harmonised System Code 3206 and supports the international listing of lead chromate pigments under Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention.

Pure Earth also formalised its continued collaboration with the university through a donation statement supporting long-term cooperation in analytical equipment, capacity building and heavy metal mitigation programmes.

The event brought together government representatives, regulatory agencies, researchers, industry leaders, civil society organisations, university leadership and student representatives.

Dr Kithure called for sustained partnerships, stronger public awareness and effective enforcement of environmental safety regulations to turn scientific evidence into practical safeguards, protect children and promote healthier communities.

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