Assembly to debate motion to rename Limuru Road after Wangari Maathai

The Nairobi County Assembly will today debate a motion to rename a city road after the late Wangari Maathai.

The Karura Ward MCA Kamau Thuo told the Nation that he has lobbied his colleagues to ensure the motion proposing to rename Limuru Road after the late Nobel Laureate goes through when the assembly converges at 2:30pm.

He filed the motion last week. “Today (Thursday) will be the last lap of legally adopting it (the motion),” he said by the phone.

A similar move had been made by politicians, led by Starehe MP Maina Kamanda, last year when they proposed to change Ring Road Westlands’ name and call it Prof Saitoti Road.

Mr Kamanda and his team had requested Nairobi’s Roads and Transport Executive member Mohamed Abdullahi to assist in renaming the road, but the process is yet to go through.

“I'm sure this time my proposal will be a success since I have gathered enough support for the motion at the assembly,” Mr Thuo said.

He said the legacy of the late Prof Maathai should be preserved as she fought for environmental conservation under the Green Belt Movement.

Prof Maathai passed away on September 21, 2011 at the age of 71.

Earlier this year, the African Union honoured her posthumously by naming the front gardens at its headquarters in Addis Ababa the Wangari Maathai Gardens.

Limuru Road cuts through Karura Forest, which had been hived off and allocated to individuals during the reign of President Daniel arap Moi.

It is Prof Maathai who protested and forced the government to rescind the allocations.

Members of the Green Belt Movement have asked Kenyans to join them in solidarity at the City County Assembly during the debate.