As Prof Wangari Maathai received praise from President Kibaki and other Kenyans, she courted controversy on the issue of HIV/Aids and human rights.

Responding to questions from Asian and European media, the minister said although she had no proof, she felt that HIV/Aids targeted Africa.

"I want to dedicate the prize the African woman. I want to hold and embrace her. She has suffered so much and I feel this is an honour to her.

"Although I am a biologist, I have not done any research. I may not be able to say who developed the (HIV) virus but it was meant to wipe out the Black race," she said.

When she first blamed the HIV/Aids on "some sadistic scientists," the professor kicked a storm, leaving some experts outraged and others supporting her.

Initially, said Maathai, HIV/Aids was only concentrated in selected spots in the continent, only afflicting the "undesirable classes".

She insisted that some scientists from the developed world deliberately researched and developed the virus in order to "punish the Blacks".

"I cannot prove this but everybody knows that there are biological weapons. America invaded Iraq because they believed such weapons existed," said Maathai.

She said the West had not done enough to help Africa cope with the effects of Aids.

"Why is the rest of the world just watching, doing nothing while Africans are being wiped out? The rest of the world has abandoned us," she said.

She said it would take a while for Kenya to improve its human rights record.

The Nobel Peace prize winner said previous governments had trampled on the rights of Kenyans.