She pointed out Kenya's current electric power rationing problem has been caused by greed that has superseded reasoning. She noted that Kenya was currently experiencing the electricity shortfall due to its dry and withered ecosystem that has led to the drying up of rivers and dams. The drought situation was brought about by lack of forest cover because that has been depleted through human encroachment in areas that ought to have been conserved, she said. The environmental activist told Africans to wake up because they have been so willing to be abused by selfish leaders. It does not really matter very much what kind of legal mechanisms we come up with in these conventions and protocols currently being debated here.
African governments are always the first to sign international conventions.
Maathai appealed to African governments to take matters pertaining to environmental protection seriously because some of the current world environmental problems do not have any known remedies. She accused African leaders of adopting an ignorant attitude towards the environment and that is why the continent is currently facing diverse and unusual climatic conditions. It is a vicious cycle. When there is drought, there is no electricity and workers are laid off in industries, lands can't be cultivated, production goes down and the eventual end is poverty. The next step is that we go to the World Bank to borrow money for poverty alleviation.