“Shawry From The Forests” How A Kenyan Cool Kid Describes Prof. Wangari Mathai

Prof. Wangari Maathai is a legend who has won the Nobel Peace Prize who is well-known and admired all over the world.

She battled to safeguard the environment and was willing to give her life to do so.

She will be studied for years in schools, and her name will always be uttered with great reverence.

However, don’t mention it to certain young, ‘cool’ Kenyans who are still in school.

Professor Wangari Mathai

The renowned social, environmental, and political activist is referred to as a “shawry,” an African American slang term for a girl, by someone who is not your typical Kenyan.

But a particular “cool kid” from Nairobi has enraged Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) for being precisely that kind of Kenyan.

He is aware of Prof. Maathai and her work—was it something with trees or what?—but not necessarily her name.

It all began when a TikTok video of the anonymous young-ish man being questioned about odd things about Kenya spread around Twitter.

during  a shoot in what appears to be one of the posh city malls.

When asked about the first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the guy stutters in thought before saying “it’s the shawry for the… forests. Anaitwa? Wangari… Wangari Maathai.”

He doesn’t seem to remember the year Prof. Maathai won the award: “ion know, 19-something…70s there, 80s?”

On what he thinks is the origin of the name Kenya, he says “I think it’s from the Maasai niggas”.

What are kids being taught these days in schools?