The 31-year-old program coordinator for Friends of Lake Turkana (FoLT), yesterday became the third Kenyan to win the 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize at an occasion held at the White House. This was in recognition of her unflagging efforts to stop the plans to construct the Gibe 3 Dam in Omo River, Ethiopia that would adversely affect Lake Turkana.
The Omo River project that is mainly funded by China, is expected to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant. However, its consequences are dire to the existence of Lake Turkana a World Heritage Site, since Omo River sources 90 per cent of the lake’s water.
The Prize comes with an award of $150,000, which she has said will be a big support to her efforts. Philanthropist Richard N Goldman and her wife Rhoda H Goldman established the Goldman Environmental Prize in 1990 to reward grassroots environmental activist.
Other distinguished Kenyans who have had their hands on the prestigious prize are the Late Prof. Wangari Maathai (1991) and Micael Werikhe (1990).
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