When I completed my high school studies, as with many other school leavers, I had no fixed decision on what career to pursue. Luckily, I got some nice grades, so I had the berth to choose within a wide range of courses. The first idea that came to mind was pursuing law. Why? You may ask.
You see, in my final months in school, I had formed an elitist coterie together with five of my friends, and so, together, we would read the daily newspapers and then settle down and argue on the current affairs. Based on the experience I got, I believe I became a very belligerent debater. I thought, therefore, that I could pursue law.
I don’t know what fantasy court I had been conjuring in my mind at the time, where the defendant’s and the plaintiff’s lawyers sit on opposite sides, toss vituperative utterances at each other like a tennis ball, and then the judge, at his own convenience, hits the gavel to declare the winner of the case. Naive much, wasn’t I?
Anyway, I shared the idea with my dad, and he didn’t even break a smile. He told me that, unless I was willing to sleep every day at Uhuru Park together with my degree and suit, then I should shelve the idea, because he has no connections in the world of learned friends. Well, I hope he comes across this article, so that he may know, despite not pursuing law, I still ended up sleeping at Uhuru Park, albeit not in a suit.
You see, Governor Sakaja decided to take up from where Co-operative Bank left, in regards to hosting End-of-Year parties for residents of Nairobi. This party, he calls it 'Vibe of the City' and charges us 100 bob as an entry fee. The party runs for a whole week, and it is only during this week that we are granted access to Uhuru Park. For the rest of the year, it’s usually locked up, kama vyombo za wageni, until the next December.
Anyway, after running so many errands around town on one hot sunny afternoon, I dearly needed to rest. So I thought of possible public places to do so. Jeevanjee Gardens? No. They cut away all the grass. Hilton benches? No. Whoever designed them must have cut a secret deal with a chiropractor, because you will always wake up from them with a backache. Aga Khan Walk? Are those even seats or garden kerbs?
Eventually, I got a light-bulb moment and thought of Uhuru Park. So I walked over to the park, ignored everyone who was around me and went to one of the less populous corners, where I just lay down and slept. Heard that? I slept. Slept in town. On a beautiful grass patch. Do you know how that feels? To have a place to lie down after a long day? I was relieved of all my stress. Couldn’t believe that this was all I needed to finally be refreshed.
Maybe that’s what everyone in this bustling city of Nairobi needs. A grassy patch to lie down and sleep when they are mentally or physically fatigued with their work of the day. There are a few existing grassy areas in the city, and you will always see people resting there.
Has anyone ever passed by the roundabout between Outering Road and Kangundo Road? What about the one between Outering Road and Manyanja Road? You will always find people lying on the grass. Anyone who has studied sociology, could you tell me what such repeated social patterns among people mean?
It means that there’s a dire need for green spaces in the city. Green spaces where someone can just take a break and lie down. I hope the relevant authorities – the urban planners in the county government – could read this. And most importantly, to Governor Sakaja: Open up Uhuru Park. I’m sure we all know that it is public property, not yours.