Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai dies in hospital

Kenya's Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai has died in Nairobi while undergoing cancer treatment. She was 71.
She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for promoting conservation, women's rights and transparent government - the first African woman to get the award.
Maathai was an elected Member of Parliament and served as an Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in President Mwai Kibaki's government between January 2003 and November 2005.
Ms Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, which has planted 20-30 million trees in Africa.
'Role model and heroine'
"It is with great sadness that the family of Professor Wangari Maathai announces her passing away on 25 September, 2011, at the Nairobi Hospital, after a prolonged and bravely borne struggle with cancer," the Green Belt Movement said in a statement.
"Her loved ones were with her at the time.
"Professor Maathai's departure is untimely and a very great loss to all who knew her - as a mother, relative, co-worker, colleague, role model, and heroine; or who admired her determination to make the world a more peaceful, healthier, and better place."
The organisation did not provide further details.
Ms Maathai, who was a professor of veterinary anatomy, rose to international fame for campaigns against government-backed forest clearances in Kenya in the late 1980s-90s.
Under the former government of President Daniel Arap Moi, she was arrested several times, and vilified.
In 2008, Ms Maathai was tear-gassed during a protest against Moi's plan to increase the number of ministers in the cabinet.
In her speech accepting the Nobel prize, Ms Maathai said she hoped her own success would spur other women on to a more active role in the community.
"I hope it will encourage them to raise their voices and take more space for leadership," she said.
Prof. Maathai leaves her three children-Waweru, Wanjira, and Muta-and a granddaughter, Ruth Wangari

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[ehlimo3]

We should not forget,what this mama Stand for. She stood for nature, her people, and Africa. She was killed bcus she was about winning the European on her reparations case. She is not alone, Abiola of the yoruba people in west Africa, Malcom X in America and many other unknown ancestors were all killed bcus they demanded for reparation.

If you truly an African and love Africa carry this message everyday in your heart.

Mama Wangari Maathai, lives forever and bring your killers to their ruin..

[karuitha]

@siasabora KBC might still think we are still under Moi when they were ordered to ignore her and her struggles for the good of Kenyans and Kenya. Have you seen the shabby clip they put yesterday? For a national state funded station like KBC, I expected more like they have done now. But it took 48hrs for them to come out with a worthy tribute. BBC and CNN had even better. Also have you seen how our leaders were late to compliment her. Jakaya Kikwete beat them to it.

[siasabora]

she put Kenya on world map...and for the good reasons