KENYA: Relatives of Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai relatives arrive at the mortuary where her body is lying

Record ID: 362102

  • Title: KENYA: Relatives of Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai relatives arrive at the mortuary where her body is lying
  • Date: 9th October 2011
  • Summary: SCHOOL CHILDREN HOLDING TREES
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya, Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Obituaries,People
  • Reuters ID: LVADFGSAHNVPRZNWTJ7Q72H5ML7J
  • Story Text: Kenyans began preparations for the funeral for Wangari Maathai, Africa's first woman Nobel peace laureate, on Saturday (October 8), when family members arrived to hold a private ceremony at a Nairobi mortuary, ahead of the state funeral later in the day.
    Maathai's body is expected to be cremated later in the day.
    "It's a big blow to lose her as getting someone to replace her will be very hard and I don't think it will happen. If it does than it will take so many years," said Nairobi resident James Murwa Cira.
    Maathai, 71, founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 to plant trees to prevent environmental and social conditions deteriorating and harming poor people, especially women, living in rural Kenya.
    Her movement expanded in the 1980s and 1990s to embrace wider campaigns for social, economic and political change, setting her on a collision course with the government of then-president, Daniel arap Moi.
    Her movement became more political, leading to clashes with the government's security agents in her fight for the release of political prisoners.
    She had to endure being whipped, tear-gassed and threatened with death.
    With the end of Moi's rule in 2002, Maathai became increasingly celebrated in Kenya and the award of the Nobel peace prize turned her into a national hero.
    Her call to be cremated, at odds with local customs, reaffirms her role as a revolutionary, even in death
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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