Iconic Wangare Mathai Dies at 71

Kenya loses an iconic figure of environmental conservationist Wangari Maathai 71. Kenya and also Africa only female Nobel Prize Laurette Prof Wangare Maathai born Wangari Muta Maathai on April 1 1940. Wangari Maathai was a fore-runner in the fight for conservation of Kenyans forest and water catchment areas. Wangari Maathai was an environmental activist with a passion, she established the Green Belt Movement and hitched the project of the Uhuru Park garden demolition plans which would have seen the KANU regime erect their national party headquarters. Wangari Maathai fought this deal of the then incumbent president Daniel Arap Moi and won the battle which saw her go through traumatizing ordeal before the media lenses. Wangari Mathai has been also serving as member of parliament as Tetu Mp, and has served both as Assistance Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the years 2003-2005.   Wangari Maathai would later be diagnosed with Cancer which she has been fighting for quite some time until her demise on the fateful night of September 25, 2011. Kenyan now celebrate the live of a strong woman who possessed leadership elements. Wangari Maathai has been in the front-line as an environmental activist as well as a humanitarian activist. Wangari Maathai early education was commenced at Ihithe Primary School fro her primary edification, however, she would later be shifted from this institution to St Cecilia's Intermediate Primary school. Here Wangari Maathai wopuld be converted to Catholicism and was baptized Mary Josphine she was ranked the Top girl in her class. She was later enrolled on the only girl high school in kenya Loreto High School Limuru. After graduating from high school Wangari Maathai through the John F Kennedy program termed Kennedy Airlift, Wangari Maathai was among the few lucky student that were chosen to study at American University through this charter in 1960. Through a scholarship Wangari Maathai studied at Mount St Scholastica Colle in Kansas. Later she attained her master degree in University of Pitsburgh where she first had her first environmental restoration. After completion of her studies the late Wangari Maathai would later drop her cristian name and setlle for her birth name Wangari Muta. Further development saw the late Wangari Maathai being ther first woman in East Africa to receive a PHD from the University College of Nairobi currently Nairobi University. Wangari Maathai was married to Mwangi Mathai after their encounter around 1966, later after a lengthy divorce case the two separated and got divorced in 1979. However, Wangari Maathai never dropped her maiden name and till her resting days has been known as Wangari Maathai. Wangari Maathai lived a controversial life with report from the Standard media group speculating that she had stated that AIDS was a laboratory disease created by West scientist to eliminate Africans. However, Wangari Maathai would later deny this accusation and was crowned with the Nobel Peace prize. Kenya loses of of her finest heroine that fought for the welfare of its populace. We shall miss you. You are a great pride of Africa we only hope that African politicians can borrow a rope from this great martyr  who fought for the good of the people. R.I.P Wangari Maathai