Right Livelihood Award to Phyllis Omido from KIOS long-term grantee CJGEA

Photo: Phyllis Omido/Right Livelihood Award

Phyllis Omido, the founder and Executive Director of our long-standing grantee, the Center for Justice Governance and Environmental Action (CJGEA), is one of this year’s Right Livelihood Laureates. Omido is being honoured for her efforts in protecting the environmental and land rights of East African communities.

Phyllis Omido is a Kenyan human rights and environmental activist who has been at the forefront of the fight for the rights and health of lead poisoning victims in the Owinouhuru community in Mombasa. Over three hundred children and fifty adults have tragically lost their lives, and many others have fallen seriously ill due to toxic pollution from a lead smelter that was established next to the community in 2007.

Omido herself worked at the smelter but became an activist in 2009 after her own son fell ill. She discovered that her son, along with children in the community, suffered from lead poisoning caused by the smelter. In response, she founded CJGEA and began mobilising the community to take action. Thanks to her advocacy work, the smelter, along with 16 similar factories across Kenya, was eventually closed down in 2014.

KIOS has been providing funding to CJGEA and monitoring the plight of the Owinouhuru residents since 2015. With KIOS’ support, CJGEA has been able to fight for the cause of the Owinouhuru community through litigation and establish a broad network of land and environmental defenders. In a landmark ruling in 2020, the Environment and Land Court in Mombasa awarded 1.3 billion Kenyan Shillings (equivalent to more than 10 million Euros) in compensation to the victims. However, in 2023, the Kenyan Court of Appeals overturned the compensation and requested a new hearing with additional evidence. The victims of lead poisoning are still seeking justice, this time through the Supreme Court.

KIOS congratulates Phyllis Omido on her “Alternative Nobel Prize”

KIOS congratulates Phyllis Omido on receiving the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” For over 40 years, the Right Livelihood Award has “honoured and supported courageous people solving global problems”. The Right Livelihood jury stated that Omido is being honoured “for her groundbreaking struggle to secure land and environmental rights for local communities while advancing the field of environmental law.”

Phyllis Omido will be visiting Finland in December this year, at the invitation of KIOS.

“We are humbled by the work of our long-term partner, Phyllis Omido, and other Laureates. It is an inspiration to see people work with passion and commitment for the rights and well-being of others. Over the years, Phyllis Omido has exemplified what true dedication means through her relentless pursuit of environmental justice and for up-holding the rights of local communities,” says Maarit Roström, KIOS Expert responsible for human rights funding in East Africa.

“Globally, land and environmental defenders face immense challenges in their work. We acknowledge that Phyllis has continued her work against all odds and has made personal sacrifices to ensure that the right to a clean and healthy environment is upheld as a fundamental right for all.”

Photo: CJGEA

For more information, please visit the Right Livelihood Award website.

You can also watch a video about Phyllis Omido produced by KIOS.