Wanjira Mathai: Meet the only Kenyan on Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people list

Wanjira Mathai, the daughter of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof. Wangari Maathai, has added yet another feather to her cap.

Wanjira emerged as the only Kenyan on the 2023 list of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People,’ for her work in restoring land, communities, and livelihoods.

She is the Vice President and Regional Director for Africa at the World Resources Institute, besides chairing the Wangari Maathai Foundation.

Bezos Earth Fund President and CEO Dr. Andrew Steer, in his essay to the global publication, describes Wanjira as an individual who fights for justice and the future of the African continent.

“As a managing director at the World Resources Institute and chief Africa adviser to the Bezos Earth Fund, she is shaping NGO and philanthropic work on the continent, directing attention, research, and funding to helping the most climate-vulnerable places and communities,” wrote Dr. Steer.

“She has led the iconic Green Belt Movement, pioneered investment in women entrepreneurs in renewable energy, and is driving a movement to restore 100 million hectares of African land.”

He further added: “How does she do it? Wanjira would say the secret may lie in the African concept of ubuntu. Our shared humanity, working together, is what allows us to change the world.”

Wanjira made the Time Magazine list alongside other global names such as Argentine World Cup winning footballer Lionel Messi, Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan, YouTuber MrBeast, as well as the United Kingdom’s King Charles III.

In a past interview with public policy analyst Raphael Obonyo, published on Citizen Digital, Wanjira disclosed that she was a mother of two girls, adding that she aspires to keep the legacy of her mother Prof. Maathai alive.

“My mother was passionate about the environment and the people, especially the most vulnerable, women and youth. She was always looking at how she could use nature to generate income,” she said then.