As the world commemorates International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (19–25 October), a Ugandan environmental organisation has raised alarm over the continued use of highly toxic lead-based paints in homes, schools, and playgrounds across the country.
According to WEMECO (Water and Environment Media and Communication Organisation), Uganda is still allowing the sale and use of paints containing dangerous levels of lead—despite international evidence linking the substance to serious and irreversible health problems in children.
“Lead exposure is robbing our children of their future,” said Peter Akugizibwe Araali, Executive Director of WEMECO. “Some paints sold on the Ugandan market contain up to 150,000 parts per million (ppm) of lead. That is 1,600 times higher than the internationally accepted safety limit of 90 ppm.”
A 2017 study of decorative paints available in Kampala revealed that 67% of tested brands exceeded the 90 ppm threshold, with many samples containing hazardous concentrations. Despite this, Uganda has yet to enforce regulations mandating lead-free paint production and sales, putting thousands of children at risk of lead poisoning.
“Uganda successfully eliminated lead from petrol. We have the capacity to do the same for paint,” Akugizibwe emphasized. “We cannot continue to allow our children to be exposed to something we know is toxic and entirely preventable.”
Lead poisoning in children is known to cause brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioural issues, stunted growth, kidney damage, and hearing loss. Health experts warn that even very low levels of lead in a child’s blood can significantly impair development.
“One two-year-old was recently hospitalised with severe abdominal pain caused by flaking lead paint in their home,” Akugizibwe revealed. “This is not just a statistic—it’s a child’s life permanently affected.”
WEMECO is calling on the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to adopt and enforce mandatory national standards for paint manufacturers, in line with the 90 ppm limit already implemented in neighbouring Kenya and being advanced by the East African Community.
“Safer alternatives already exist in Uganda. Some manufacturers are already producing non-toxic paints. What we need is clear regulation, enforcement, and accountability,” Akugizibwe said.
In a statement released for Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, WEMECO urged:
- Parents to avoid cheap or peeling paints, regularly clean surfaces with wet methods, and repaint with certified lead-free products.
- Manufacturers to cease production of lead-based paints immediately.
- Regulators to establish a legally binding lead limit for all decorative paints sold and used in Uganda.
“Every wall in every school and every home should protect—not poison—our children,” said Akugizibwe.
The global theme for this year’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is “No Safe Level: Act Now to End Lead Exposure,” echoing what WEMECO calls a moral and public health imperative for Uganda.
