Nairobi , Kenya ( CNN ) -- Kenya 's president declared two days of national mourning Wednesday for Wangari Maathai , the first woman from Africa to win the Nobel Peace Prize , who died Monday after a battle with cancer . The announcement by President Mwai Kibaki also said a state funeral would be held for Maathai . No date was specified . Maathai , 71 , was an environmentalist who had long campaigned for human rights and the empowerment of Africa 's most impoverished people . Kibaki 's announcement said Thursday and Friday would be days of national mourning for Maathai , with the national flag flown at half staff . It also said the government has nominated representatives to join the family committee planning the funeral . Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya , a tree-planting campaign to simultaneously mitigate deforestation and to give locals , especially women and girls , access to resources like firewood for cooking and clean water . The movement has since planted more than 40 million trees . In 2004 , Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote sustainable development , democracy and peace . She also was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree . In December 2002 , she was elected to Kenya 's parliament with an overwhelming 98 % of the vote . She was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of 100 most influential people in the world , and Forbes listed her as one of 100 most powerful women in the world .
Kenya announces two days of mourning for Wangari Maathai . A state funeral will be held for the environmental activist who died this week . She was the first woman from Africa to win the Nobel Peace Prize .