Phyllis Omido was the first person in her community to draw a connection between the illnesses and a local smelting industry. Her bid to alert the Kenyan government about the industry marked the beginning of harassment and threats in her life. “I was beaten, arrested, and on a number of occasions jailed when I demanded to have the lead smelter shut down and the owners held accountable. Instead, they accused me of ‘inciting violence,” said Omido. Her NGO, Centre for Justice, Governance, and Environmental Action has forced the closure of the plant and currently pushing to secure compensation for the victims. Phyllis Omido was awarded the Goldman Environmental prize in 2015 for organising protests against a lead-smelting plant. In October 207, The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, John H. Knox, urged the Government of Kenya to take all necessary measures to protect her and other environmental human rights defenders, Wilfred Kamencu, Anastacia Nambo, and Alfred Ogola, who have been assaulted, subjected to death threats, and forced into hiding since they filed a law suit against a lead smelter earlier that month.