Alarm as battery factory exposes workers to lead

The Nakuru county public health department is investigating a local battery factory after tests on eight former workers of the factory revealed high lead levels in the blood.

According to the county public health officer Samuel King’ori, lead is a harmful compound whose effects on the body are immense, thus the need to take the necessary precautions to avert a public health risk.

King’ori said that investigations are underway and so far it has emerged that the said factory intends to change production to a different commodity.

Kingori now says that if it emerges that the factory, Xianghui battery factory, has not been cleared by relevant government authorities, then his department will take legal action against the management.

The health officer also observed that another factory had earlier on been closed in Naivasha owing to the danger posed by lead deposits.

London MCA Francis Njoroge, who previously worked in the firm, has also raised a red flag on the operations of the factory located in Nakuru’s Industrial Area.

The officer says the county government will foot all the medical examination bills, saying that independent tests will be done and samples sent to the government chemists for analysis.

The test results of the eight workers who have since been laid off will be out in a fortnight.