MKU Student Wins Wangari Maathai Award

Google Search Doodle in commemoration of Wangari Maathai 73rd Birthday

Abigael Ndinda was awarded with the inaugural Wangari Maathai Scholarship Fund on Thursday morning at the Green Belt movement offices to commemorate Wangari Maathai Day.

The second year medicine student at Mount Kenya University (MKU) was presented with the Sh800,000 Environmental Innovations Fund Scholarship award by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Green Belt Movement and the Kenya Community Development Foundation for her tree-planting initiative. 

Kenyan Heroes Remembered at Mashujaa Day

Dedan Kimathi Statue along Kimathi Street

President Mwai Kibaki led Kenyans in celebrating the third Mashujaa Day at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.

Mashujaa Day replaced the previous Kenyatta Day after the promulgation of the new constitution on 24^th August 2010.The day celebrates Kenyan heroes and heroines’ who have made outstanding contributions to the country.

Special mentions this year went to eminent Kenyans who have passed away recently. Among them were Veteran politician Martin Shikuku; Business man and politician Njenga Karume; Former Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitioti, Former Environment Minister John Michuki; Former Internal Security Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode; Civil servants Geoffrey Kareithi, and David Nalo.

The president also commended our athletes for the spectacular performance at the just concluded 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games. Kenya’s team captain David Rudisha, Samuel Muchai, Abel Tarbei was also honored for winning gold medals and breaking world records

Other great Kenyans who have been honored at past events include

Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi and his comrade.

 The Kapenguria Six:  Jomo Kenyatta, Bildad Kagia, Paul Ngei, Achieng Oneko, Fred Kubai,and  Kungu Karumba.  

Pre-independence heroes, Mekatilili wa Menza, Harry Thuku, Koitalel Arap Samoei, Harry Thuku, and Muindi Mbingu.  

Liberation leaders, the Late Oginga Odinga, Ronald Ngala, Masinde Muliro, Pio Gama Pinto, Bernard Mate, and Tom Mboya.   

Political leaders, Lawrence G. Sagini, Jean Marie Seroney, James Gichuru and Retired President Daniel Arap Moi.

Sports Personalities, Kipchoge Keino, Naftali Temu, Catherin Nderaba, and Tegla Loroupe.

Historian Bethuel Ogot, Author Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Scientist Thomas Odhiambo, Scholar Al Mazrui Health Specialist Miriam Were and the Late Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai.   

The Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Speaker Kenneth Marende and Chief Justice Willy Mutunga were among the leaders who graced this year’s celebrations.

'What is a society without a heroic dimension?' - Baudrillard Jean 

Wangari Maathai Lecture slated for Saturday

“Anybody can dig a hole and plant a tree. But make sure it survives. You have to nurture it, you have to water it, you have to keep at it until it becomes rooted so it can take care of itself. There are so many enemies of trees.” – Wangari Maathai

The inaugural lecture in honor of the late Kenyan Nobel peace Laureate and founder of the Green Belt Movement, will be given by Chinese-British writer Jung Chang at the Louis Leakey Auditorium on Saturday, September 15.

Chang is the author of Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (Described by the Asian Wall Street Journal as the most read book about China), and Mao: The Unknown Story (with Jon Halliday).

She has won the UK Writer’s Guild Best Non-Fiction in 1992 and Book of the Year UK in 1993. Her books have been translated into over 40 languages and sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

The lecture runs from 3 to 4pm.  

The late environmental and political activist who become the first woman in Central and Eastern Africa to hold a Ph.D. besides being the first African Woman to the Nobel Peace Prize, died last September of cancer.

I will be a hummingbird

Wangari Maathai Award 2012

Do you know any person or recently deceased, who has made exceptional contributions to forests? Nominate them for the inaugural Wangari Maathai Award 2012 before Friday, 20 July 2012.

Launched by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), the award honors and commemorates the late Environmental activist and Nobel Prize winner who championed forest issues around the globe.

The $20000 prize will be given to recognize outstanding contributions made by an individual to preserve, restore, and sustainably manage forests.

The award will be presented on 27 September 2012 on the first anniversary of Wangari Maathai’s death, during the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) and 3^rd World Forestry Week (WFW) meetings.

For more visit Wangari Maathai Award

Image credit: www.greenbeltmovement.org

50 outstanding Pre & Post Independence and Second Liberation Heroes

Tomorrow Kenya marks the 49th Madaraka Day; this is after the British colonialist handed over the nation to its inhabitants on 1^st June 1963. Many Kenyans who had nationalistic ambitions and protested the rule were violently suppressed. The struggle of this Kenyans and the later generation of second liberation crusaders have made me embark on writing a list of 50 Kenyans who make tomorrow a day to celebrate.

Here is the list of 50 remarkable Pre & Post Independence and Second Liberation Kenyans