Uhuru’s efforts to restore Green City in the Sun bear fruit as parks flourish

A September 2020 UN Habitat report shows public spaces in Nairobi are not only few but substandard.

The inventory and assessment raised concern that some of the public places have been turned into dumping sites for all types of garbage.

“Experiences from across the world show that public spaces with uncollected garbage are generally perceived to be dangerous places and crime hotspots. As such, the public tends to avoid such places,” the 98-page report says.

The inventory, which is aimed at reclaiming the once Green City in the Sun, emphasises the importance of trees as contributors to comfort and safety in public spaces and the city at large.

Irked by the state of affairs, President Uhuru Kenyatta tasked government agencies to spruce up green spaces within the city before bestowing its management to the Kenya Forest Service.

Uhuru reiterated the government's commitment to the restoration of green spaces in Nairobi and the improvement of the city's environment.

While making the World Environment Day 2020 at the Nairobi Arboretum, Kenyatta themed "Celebrate biodiversity," the President said the government is fully committed to the conservation agenda and mentioned a number of ongoing initiatives among them the restoration of Michuki Park.

 “We are also reclaiming our Ngong Forest and we are going to start the process of fencing it and ensuring that it is also available not only for the present but for future generations," he said.

Kenyatta underscored the key role forests play as a reservoir of biodiversity, saying Kenya is on course to achieving the 10 per cent national tree cover target.

During the rehabilitation of Michuki Park, agencies within the Environment ministry were mobilised.

This included the National Environment Management Authority, Kenya Forestry Research Institute and the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage and the National Museums of Kenya.

The Michuki Memorial Conservation Park, formerly known as Mazingira Park, is located along the Nairobi River from the Globe roundabout to Museum Bridge and covers an area of approximately 25.69892 acres.

The park is named after the late Environment Minister John Michuki and was established in 2008.

Initially, the site was used as a dumpsite and a criminal hideout.

The late Michuki who then vowed to reclaim the Nairobi River and make its water clean enough to be used by those who lived along the river embarked on a massive cleanup exercise that brought together 17 ministries among other stake stakeholders.  

Due to neglect, the area had an awful stench emanating from the polluted river.

During the rehabilitation, a total of 20,000 tons of solid waste was removed and a major cleanup of the entire city was also carried out.

Solid waste that had accumulated from National Museum bridge up to the Globe Cinema roundabout to Race Course roundabout was removed.

It also involved the clearing of illegal structures and levelling of the riparian zone and construction of a pathway along the river to mark a clear boundary of the riparian land.  A total of 6,357 indigenous trees were planted. 

And in August 2020, Kenyatta opened the rehabilitated Michuki Park.

Following the successful rehabilitation, the next stop was the Nairobi Arboretum.

The facelift given to Arboretum includes 1.25km of walkways and an ablution block at the cost of Sh12 million. Radisson Blu hotel sponsored the facelift.

The arboretum, which occupies 30.4 hectares and is situated three kilometers from the City Centre, must be protected at all costs.

The park was established in 1907 by Battiscombe, deputy conservator of forests,  mainly as a site for exotic tree species trials.

This was because foresters in Kenya had become concerned that indigenous trees that the railway relied on were getting depleted faster than they could regenerate.

KFS signed participatory forest management with Nairobi Arboretum Community Forest Association on June 5, 2020. 

Nairobi Arboretum Community Forest Association was founded in November 2019 while the Arboretum Forest Station was gazetted as a protected forest reserve in 1932 and is managed by KFS. 

It now hosts over 300 species of exotic and indigenous tree species.

It has over 100 species of migrant and resident bird species in addition to Sykes and Velvet monkeys. 

Birds include African paradise flycatcher, white-eyed slaty flycatcher, common bulbul, Malachite kingfisher, African pied wagtail among others.

Nema is also working with Korogocho Comb Green Youth to establish a green space.

“Nema is currently supporting the youth group to put up a green space called peoples’ park,” Nema DG Mamo Mamo said.

Mamo said people from informal settlements will also enjoy green spaces.

The successful rehabilitation of the arboretum has now shifted focus to City Park.

According to the Friends of City Park, the Agikuyu’s Kihara Clan originally bequeathed Nairobi’s City Park in 1903 for use by the public.

On June 10, 2020, the management of the park was taken over by KFS from Nairobi City county government.

City Park holds part of Kenya’s history as it hosts graves of famous leaders such as Murumbi and Pio Gama Pinto.

Thuo Fiu, the chairman of City Park Community Forest Association, said the park in collaboration with KFS has been identified as community user's right with a view of enhancing community livehoods. 

“City Park Community Forest association has now been registered by Registrar of Societies as of January 10, 2022,” he said.

Fiu said they are in the process of formulating a five-year City Park forest management plan, a process that is being spearheaded by KFS and will culminate in the signing of a management agreement between City Park CFA and KFS.

“At the moment we're collecting input from the community and general public on issues their desire to be included in the forest agreement,” he said.

Fiu said the CFA through the graves rehabilitation and maintenance user group have undertaken mega a cleanup at the Goan and World 1 and 2 cemeteries.

He said this has greatly enhanced security and visitors are streaming in at City Park in big numbers. 

Fiu said they are seeking wider community support to carry out a fencing programme at City Park to keep encroachers at bay and enhance City Park users' security.