Nairobi County Government: Rename Limuru Road, Prof Wangari Maathai Road.

On January 8, 1999 environmental activist, Prof Wangari Maathai of the Green Belt Movement, went out with a group of about 20 friends to plant trees at Karura Forest, located in Nairobi's affluent northern suburbs. They didn’t go far. They were brutally attacked by goons hired by powerful people in government claiming ownership of the public land. Prof Maathai was knocked down unconscious. She was hospitalized for days. Those behind the attack were very powerful individuals. They were the untouchables but Prof Maathai dared to dream and succeeded. She saved the forest and several others from defilement by rapacious individuals.

This is just but one of the many heroic deeds that the gallant daughter of Kenya did for her country. But just as many other unsung heroines like Muthoni Nyanjiru, Mekatilili Wa Menza, Wambui Otieno, Grace Ogot, Effie Owour and others, no statue has been erected to honor them, no public holiday set aside to celebrate their achievements and contribution to this great nation, no public stadium named in their honour to remind us of their sacrifice.

Among the hundreds bearing men names, only seven
roads are named after women in Nairobi and around eleven countrywide: Mama Ngina Street (Nairobi), Syokimau Avenue (Machakos), Pamela Jelimo Road (Kapsabet), Tecla Lorupe Road (Nairobi), Mama Ngina Drive (Mombasa) Karen Road (Nairobi), Catherine Ndereba Road (Embakasi-Nairobi), Wambui Road (Nairobi), Rosslyn Slaughter Road (Ruaka-Kiambu), Aoko Road (South B – Nairobi), Mweni Road
(Nairobi).

Now that Kenya has many by-passes yet to be properly baptized, we urge that the authorities concerned name them after women so that girls grow up know that they too can be publicly recognized if they make major contributions to the development of our society.

Professor Maathai died on 25 September 2011 at the age of 71 after a battling ovarian cancer. Memorial ceremonies were held in Kenya, New York, San Francisco, and London. African Union celebrated and honoured her this year by posthumously naming the gardens in front of its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after her- Wangari Maathai Gardens.

We seek one million petitioners from Kenya and beyond.

Please sign this petition to urge Nairobi County Government to honor Africa’s first female Nobel Laureate, by renaming Limuru Road, Prof Wangari Maathai Road.