A new study by the University of Nairobi has raised alarm over the continued use of lead chromate in paints across Kenya and the region, despite ongoing efforts to eliminate lead-based products.
The study, led by Dr. Farida Were from the university’s Chemistry Department, found that 80 percent of yellow road marking paints tested contained dangerously high levels of lead—exceeding the global safety limit of 90 parts per million (ppm), with concentrations reaching up to 18,509 ppm. Chromium levels were also high, confirming the widespread use of lead chromate pigments.
According to the findings, 60 percent of paint manufacturers admitted to using yellow lead chromate in road marking paints, while 25 percent used it in residential paints. The report concludes that the high lead levels stem from the intentional use of lead chromate pigments.
Dr. Were, a senior lecturer and member of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, said the results expose a major gap in Kenya’s fight against lead contamination.
“We are proud of the regional progress in setting the 90-ppm total lead maximum standard in paint products,” she said during the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action. “However, sampling non-compliant paints from thousands of retail shelves is a losing battle. The most strategic and effective step is to control lead chromate pigment at the point of entry.”She urged the government to ban the importation of lead chromate, saying the move would choke off the supply of the toxic pigment used in paints and road markings.
The study, supported by the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP), also highlighted evidence of lead-chromate residues in soil and river sediments near industrial zones, with increasing cases of cognitive disorders among children linked to exposure.
Lead chromate, once valued for producing bright yellow, green, and red pigments, is now recognized globally as a major environmental and health hazard.
Dr. Were further recommended listing lead chromate as a chemical of concern, which would require exporting countries to obtain explicit consent from importers before shipment—a measure she says would “undo the toxic supply chain” and help countries in the Global South enforce compliance.
“As the world marks International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, the time for decisive action on lead chromate is now,” she said. “A total ban at the point of entry will secure a lead-free future and protect the intellectual potential of Kenyan children.”
