Life
Kenyans bid farewell to laureate Wangari Maathai
Ms. Maathai was cremated in a casket made of bamboo, water hyacinth and papyrus so that no trees would be cut down – Photo: BBC
Kenyans on Saturday bade farewell to the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in a colorful state funeral marked with prayers, praises and tree planting.
Thousands of Kenyans, including President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, amassed at a landmark park in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to attend prayers held for the late Wangari Maathai.
Maathai, who won the Nobel in 2004 for her work in conservation and women’s rights, resisted a government plan to build a complex at Uhuru Park, where the funeral was taking place Saturday.
“Wangari’s legacy goes beyond Kenya — all over the world,” said Odinga. “We have lost a dedicated selfless Kenyan patriot,” and her work will continue to inspire the rest of the world.
Rev. Phyliss Ochillo who prayed for Maathai Saturday said the laureate was concerned about the environment when he visited her in hospital only a day before her death.
“She did not respond to anything but when I talked about the environment that’s when she responded,” Ochillo said.
Maathai was seen as a threat to the rich and powerful. She was beaten, arrested and vilified for the simple act of planting a tree, a natural wonder she believed could reduce poverty and conflict.
