Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja lauded Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) boss Major General Mohammed Badi for facelifting Uhuru and Central Parks.
Sakaja yesterday together with Badi toured the Uhuru and Central Parks where the former Nairobi Senator was highly impressed by the works.
“Well done Maj. Badi and NMS team on Uhuru Park. Nairobians will really enjoy this. We plan to have parks and such recreational areas throughout the city as all Nairobians deserve this. Asante sana,” Sakaja said.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta officially commissioned the two Parks on September 12, 2022, after 11 months of shutdown and refurbishment.
The two parks were Uhuru’s final initiatives in Nairobi, commissioned the night before his presidency ended.
Uhuru had previously chastised critics of the ongoing repairs at Uhuru and Central Parks, arguing that they were part of efforts to change the face of the city.
The closing of the famed parks for renovations infuriated some Kenyans, who said it was a land-grabbing plot.
The parks have played a vital role in the growth of the city and the country as a whole, hosting major national events such as the adoption of the new constitution in 2010.
The repair work in the two parks is taking place 52 years after the green spaces were initially exposed to the public, and it includes the creation of various buildings and landscaping features.
A playground, an outdoor gym, jogging tracks, botanical walks, an outdoor library, and a skating rink are among the amenities.
According to the NMS, the project’s guardians, the refurbished green areas will play a crucial role in environmental pollution management, social-economic development of the nation, and citizens’ physical well-being.
The Uhuru and Central parks were closed down one year ago to pave way for rehabilitation and will be ready in due time for the public to enjoy.
“Uhuru Park was gazetted and opened to the public by Kenya’s first President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on May, 23, 1969 in 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,” NMS said.
