Every day, thousands of Kenyans scroll through Amazon, lured by the promise of variety and convenience. But a new report has exposed a harsh reality: what we buy there isn’t necessarily safe, especially for those of us in developing countries.
Mercury pollution from Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is not only exposing communities to mercury poisoning, but also disrupting Kenya’s biodiversity. Ecological resilience, an ecosystem’s ability to resist, absorb, and recover from disturbances, is disrupted at its core.
Studies have shown that areas near gold mining spots face a high risk of mercury pollution, with high levels of the toxic metal found in water, sediment, and fish. ASGM activities are dominant in at least 7 counties, namely Migori, Siaya, Kakamega, Narok, Vihiga, Nandi, and Turkana counties.
Libreville, Gabon—On Wednesday 22nd January 2025, Ministers adopted a declaration calling for the elimination of mercury-added skin lightening products. Non-government organizations from Africa and across the globe applauded the Ministers high level call to zero out mercury in skin whitening products.
ZMWG testing indicates that hundreds if not thousands of them are available in the global market. Products tested in a variety of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, Europe and North America have contained from less than 1 to 57,000 parts per million (ppm) mercury.
On 6th July 2023, CEJAD organised a training for regulatory agencies and government agencies on the use of Handheld XRF Spectrometer in monitoring illegal mercury skin lightening creams. The training was undertaken by the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (INST) at the University of Nairobi. The training was conducted in collaboration with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
On 23rd and 24th November 2023, CEJAD in collaboration with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) organised a two-day national dialogue for stakeholders in the cosmetics sector to dialogue and outline strategies for preventing the illegal trade in mercury skin lightening creams. The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from different sectors including, government agencies, the cosmetics industry, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and academia.
From 24th to 26th July 2023, CEJAD held a training workshop for the resilient team in Kakamega on health and safety to enhance their capacity to enforce self-regulation in the Artisanal and Small- Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector in Kenya and reduce cases of accidents and deaths from gold mines. The training was provided by the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS).
CEJAD and Solidaridad facilitated the formation of the Artisanal Small-Scale Miners Association of Kenya (ASMA-K) to advocate for miners' rights and issues. It brings together artisanal and small-scale miners from all the mining counties in Kenya. The Association was officially registered in January 2023, with an office at Madini House. Since its establishment, the association has represented miners and articulated their issues at national and international forums including meetings of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and Mining Indaba.
On 7th November 2023, CEJAD in collaboration with the Stated Department for Mining organised the first national multistakeholder forum in Nairobi for stakeholders in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Kenya. The forum provided an opportunity for information sharing and experience learning on initiatives being undertaken by various stakeholders in the sector and discussed solutions for promoting economic, social and environmental sustainability in the sector. Stakeholders from government agencies, non-government agencies, Industry, and the Miners attended the forum.
Mercury is a recognized toxic element that is mobile and persistent with documented serious impacts on human health and the environment. Exposure to mercury can occur through inhalation, ingestion or dermal exposure to different mercury compounds. Mercury exposure can lead to neurological and behavioural disorders with symptoms such as tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headaches and cognitive and motor dysfunction, ultimately leading to the Minamata disease.
Objectives
Our mercury program aims to achieve the following objectives:
