News

Green Belt Movement Headquarters, Kilimani Lane, off Elgeyo Marakwet Road, Adams Arcade.

On 25th September at 10:00 am family and friends of Prof Wangari Maathai will join the Green Belt Movement (GBM) to commemorate the first anniversary of Professor Wangari Maathai’s passing. A special memorial celebration of her life will be held at the gardens of the headquarter offices of the Green Belt Movement in Kilimani, Nairobi. The event will be open to the public.

The Memorial will bring together dignitaries, GBM staff, members of GBM’s tree nursery groups, academics from the University of Nairobi, students of Loreto High School, and others to celebrate Professor Maathai’s life and her outstanding achievements in environmental conservation, sustainable development, democracy and peace.

Hon. Rose Waruhiu, MP, will be the chief guest, with Bishop Peter Njenga serving as the master of ceremonies. Kenya Postal Corporation CEO, Dr. Enoch Kinara will also be in attendance.

We miss Professor Maathai’s strong voice and words of wisdom, especially at this time when we pray for peace in our country. We call on all our friends in Kenya and beyond to celebrate her life by planting a tree of peace, one year on. A tree planting ceremony will be held in honour of Professor Maathai in the GBM gardens. All Kenyans and all friends of Kenya are invited to attend.

In advance of the memorial at Kilimani, GBM will launch a pre-election “Peace Tent” campaign with the Provincial Commissioner of Nairobi, Mr. Njoroge Ndirangu officiating, on Tuesday 18th September at 11:30 am. There will be two Peace Tents, one at Freedom Corner, Uhuru Park, and one at the KenCom bus stop from the 18th to the 24thSeptember. Everyone is welcome to come and visit a Peace Tent to make your pledge for peace and commitment to non violent elections in Kenya.

For more information regarding the Memorial, please contact; Lucy Wanjohi, Executive Secretary, on lwanjohi@greenbeltmovement.org or 0722-208909.

Professor Wangari Maathai led an extraordinary life. She founded the Green Belt Movement (GBM) in 1977, an organisation that continues to empower communities, reduce poverty and conserve the environment through tree planting. Since its inception, the GBM has planted over 51 million trees on farms, forests and public lands in all eight provinces of Kenya. Today, the GBM is focused on the restoration of key watershed areas of Kenya. Professor Maathai was internationally recognised for her work — awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 and later named a UN Messenger of Peace for the environment and climate change, by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2009. Professor Maathai also had an active political career within Kenya, as a Member of Parliament and Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources (2003 – 2007). Her untimely death last September came as a shock to all who knew and loved her.

For our Japanese supporters, you can read how the memorial was reported by Mainichi News here and here!