In her autobiography Unbowed, Wangari Maathai mentions the several times that her life was threatened during the early 1990s when the government was out to get her for her outspoken support of democracy and against thuggishness.

In the wake of the contested 2007 elections, her life is once more being threatened. This time, the would-be assassins, who come from the Mungiki criminal gang have texted three messages to her cellphone promising that if she does not stop criticizing the government of her fellow Kikuyu, President Mwai Kibaki, she will be killed.

In Unbowed, Prof. Maathai thanks the international community and the pressure groups for spreading the word about threats against her life, since, she believes, it was international pressure and awareness that saved her from harm. While there's no evidence the government is behind the Mungiki threats, the situation is grave. Readers are invited to visit the Amnesty International site to express their support for Wangari and urge the authorities to stop Mungiki before it's too late.