REFURBISHED UHURU PARK

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has for the first time released images of the refurbished Uhuru park which has been undergoing renovations since 2021. NMS stated that they were in the process of completing renovations at the recreational centre that holds some of the country’s history and is also a great tourist attraction.

Did you know that 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.

Uhuru Park is set for reopening soon, after undergoing a major facelift, in  September 2021. The park has now been fitted with additional recreational facilities surrounded by state of the art landscaping.

“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”, reads part of a statement by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services, NMS.

In addition, NMS says, “The rehabilitation involved construction of various buildings and landscaping features that include a playground, an outdoors gym, jogging tracks, botanical trails, outdoor library, and a skating park.”

In the new look, NMS detailed that they have undertaken various landscaping initiatives to maintain the green nature of the park.

“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,” read the statement in part.

Additionally, the NMS provided more benches in various sections of the park to enable Kenyans to have places to rest when visiting the recreational park. NMS revealed that it had put up new facilities to support sports enthusiasts such as skating lanes.

“The rehabilitation works which come 52 years after the green spaces were first opened to the public involved construction of a playground, an outdoor gym, jogging tracks, botanical trails, an outdoor library and a skating park,” NMS stated.

Also installed at the park, is an old plane which NMS boss General Mohamed Badi stated would be converted into a high-end hotel during an interview on August 4.  At the time, he stated that the launch of the project was taking longer as they were benchmarking with neighbouring countries to ensure that the park meets international standards.

“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 stated then.

Uhuru Park is a 12.9-hectare recreational park adjacent to the central business district of Nairobi and was opened to the public by the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on May 23, 1969.