- Using their contractors, NMS has been renovating the two parks to give them a world-class modern look.
- The parks had been outdated and renovations ought to have been done 20 years ago.
Image: NMS
Uhuru and Central parks will be opened to the public in December after 13 months of closure.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Tuesday said people will enjoy the recreational parks for free.
“The county is in the process of rehabilitating all the parks where our people can rest and enjoy the environment,” he said.
Nairobi Metropolitan Services director general Mohammed Badi had earlier said that issues on payments would be entirely up to the governor and his vision of raising revenue.
Uhuru and Central parks were officially commissioned on September 12, by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The two parks were Nairobi's last projects to be commissioned by Uhuru before his presidential tenure ended.
Uhuru had earlier told off critics regarding the ongoing renovations at the parks, saying that it was part of plans to change the face of the city.
The closure of the iconic parks for renovation did not sit well with some Kenyans who claimed that it was a land-grabbing scheme.
“Those who were saying we have grabbed Uhuru Park and Central Park should see works being done,” Uhuru said then.
Using their contractors, NMS has been renovating the two parks to give them a world-class modern look.
The parks had been outdated and renovations ought to have been done 20 years ago.
MPs allocated Sh1 billion for the renovation.
Uhuru Park will have manicured lawns, maintained trees, enhanced walkways and green spaces.
The lilies pond at the park will be turned into an aquarium named Uhuru Aquascape.
A larger artificial lake will be transformed into a major waterfront with a Swahili restaurant.
There will be an outdoor amphitheatre fitted with an audio-visual screen, a Nyatiti-shaped events garden, and a children’s play area, with bouncing castles and merry-go-rounds.
The iconic Nyayo statue and Mau Mau freedom fighters monuments will be maintained.
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 enhance learning.
Management offices, event spaces, ablution facilities, physical exercise spaces and touristic features and attractions will be available.
They will be fenced and manned, allowing the two parks to operate on a 24-hour basis.
There will 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 for book launches.
Over the weekend, Sakaja complimented Badi, for the uplift he gave Uhuru and Central parks after a site visit with the NMS boss.
“Well done Major Badi and NMS team on Uhuru park. Nairobians will enjoy this. We plan to have parks and recreational areas throughout the city as all Nairobians deserve this,” he said.
Sakaja said his administration is in the process of reclaiming all social places that had been grabbed and repurposing them to their initial use, where young people can exploit their talents and be creative.
“Some unscrupulous people have grabbed some of these social amenities areas, we are reclaiming them, improving them and will create new ones to ensure every subcounty has at least a recreational facility,” he said.
As part of the strategy to decongest Uhuru and Central parks, the NMS last year identified 76.01 acres to be converted into recreational spaces.
The six targeted spaces are located in estates in Embakasi East, Kasarani, Kamukunji, Westlands and Kibera subcounties.
According to the Directorate of Environment, this was also part of efforts to maintain and enhance the city's beauty.
In Embakasi East, NMS has marked 31.73 acre Jacaranda Grounds, which is located near Jacaranda estate, while in Kamukunji there are 7.27 acres available for recreational space.
The two grounds have always been a favourite spot for political campaigns.
The Westlands Botanical Garden which sits on 10.21 acres and is located near Mwani Road has also been identified as a possible recreational park.
There is also the Kasarani riparian reserve located next to EABL Company in Kasarani.
In Kibera, there are two pieces of land, 22.2 acres each, along the Southern Bypass, and 4.3 acres located between NHC Housing and Jonathan Ngeno estate that will be converted to recreational parks.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris