A decade after exposing lead poisoning in Mombasa’s Owino Uhuru settlement, Africa Uncensored returns with Up in Smoke, a powerful film on justice delayed and lives still at risk.
Ten years ago, Africa Uncensored exposed a devastating environmental scandal in Owino Uhuru, an informal settlement in Mombasa. Residents were being poisoned by lead from a nearby smelting plant, and despite clear evidence, both local and national governments looked the other way. A court later awarded the community KSh. 1.3 billion in compensation, but a decade on, not a cent has reached the families who lost loved ones or continue to suffer from chronic illness.
Up in Smoke is Africa Uncensored’s return to Owino Uhuru, and it’s a film that shows just how long the shadow of environmental injustice can stretch. The documentary finds a community still living with the deadly grip of lead poisoning, families still shattered by preventable deaths, and institutions still dragging their feet. It’s a powerful reminder that the story didn’t end with the original exposé or with the courtroom victory — the real measure is justice delivered, and in Owino Uhuru, that justice is still missing.
For Report for Impact, this film is an urgent call to pay attention. Up in Smoke is not just about one settlement in Kenya; it’s about what happens when accountability fails and when communities are left to fend for themselves against both corporate negligence and government silence. It’s also a testament to the role of independent journalism: returning, following up, and refusing to let stories of injustice fade away.
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