Nairobi residents have a reason to smile after Governor Sakaja Johnson announced the reopening of Uhuru Park to the public after extensive renovations that took two years.

The park, along with Central Park, had been closed in 2022 to facilitate renovations initiated by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service.

Sakaja stated that the Kenya Defence Forces had formally handed the park back to City Hall, marking its readiness for public use.

“This event signifies the official opening of this ground to the public and other functions. The Kenya Defence Forces have completed their work. This facility now belongs to the people of Nairobi,” Sakaja declared.

Uhuru Park before the renovations was also a hot spot for political rallies in Kenya.

The park is synonymous with hosting huge political rallies in the lead-up to general elections.
With the new look, Uhuru Park now boasts manicured lawns, maintained trees, beautiful walkways and green spaces.

Man-made lake

The park also has an outdoor amphitheater with an audio-visual screen, an events garden in the shape of a nyatiti, and a children’s play area with bouncing castles and merry-go-rounds.

The iconic Nyayo statue and Mau Mau freedom fighters’ monuments have also been renovated.
The man-made lake has been transformed into a major waterfront. There is also a Swahili restaurant. The lilies ponds at the park have been turned into an aquarium named Uhuru Aquascape.

“The revamped green spaces will play a critical role in environmental pollution management, social- economic development of the nation as well as the physical well-being of citizens,” said Sakaja.

Sakaja revealed that the county acquired old double-decker buses which have since been converted into restaurants that have also been segmented to cater for all people visiting it.

For children who visit Uhuru Park, Sakaja detailed that the county has created ice cream parlours at different points, all built using old buses and other antique materials to improve the park’s aesthetics.
According to Sakaja, the new look Uhuru Park has an old aircraft converted into a modern high-end hotel.

Skating park

“It has taken us time because we went for benchmarking in places such as Addis Ababa because they have good recreational parks. We are now modifying what we saw to suit Kenya’s taste,” he said.
“Within Uhuru Park, we will have high-end, middle income and low-income restaurants.”

The new look Uhuru Park also has a modern garden with waterfronts.

The green spaces feature, among other amenities, a plant nursery, skating park, nature trail, outdoor library, jogging and cycling tracks, maintenance yard, offices and shearer garden. The park is under 24 hours surveillance.

The re-opening of Central Park will, however, take longer, owing to the contracted works yet to be completed. There will be a botanical space with all species of flowers and plants to capture Kenya’s floral biodiversity, with flowers and plants labelled to boost learning.

Management offices, event spaces, ablution facilities, physical exercise spaces and touristic features and attractions will also be available.

The parks will be fenced and manned, allowing the them to operate on a 24-hour basis.

There will also be terraced sitting areas with a biosphere look, a dancing fountain put up along Processional Way, several eateries and two high-end restaurants.

Central Park will have an outdoor library for use by children to read and it will also be used for book launches.

Uhuru Park was gazetted and opened to the public by Kenya’s first President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on May 23, 1969, in the embodiment of the country’s freedom.

It is also the home of the Mau-Mau freedom fighters’ monument that honours victims of torture during the colonial era.