Nairobi: Wangari Maathai, a minister in Kenyan Government and an environmentalist has been awarded Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2003-04 as told by the sources in Nairobi today (Oct 8, 2004).

Norwegian news agency NTB confirmed in a report that Maathai had won the coveted prize.

If the award is confirmed, Maathai, who is Kenya's assistant minister for the environment and natural resources, will become the first African woman to be awarded the peace prize since it was created in 1901.