Kenya Forest Service has taken over management of City Park in Nairobi (see P10).
The Nairobi Metropolitan Service and KFS are starting to restore public land in Nairobi. On June 5, President Kenyatta said government would reclaim and fence Ngong Forest.
Great cities have great parks at their centre: Central Park in New York, the Imperial Palace garden in Tokyo, Hyde Park in London, the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.
Parks provide green spaces where city residents can exercise, relax and enjoy natural beauty. Parks act as the lungs of a city, providing oxygen, cooling and cleaning the air.
Nairobi is already well-endowed with green spaces. Karura Forest is accessed by thousands every week. The Arboretum is popular at weekends. The Nairobi National Park is a global treasure.
City Park has become rundown and its 140 acres are infested by thugs. Yet this is the closest park to Mathare and could offer a green space to millions. KFS is also taking over management of Michuki Park next to Globe roundabout.
These initiatives will make Nairobi a better place for all its residents and should be supported.
Quote of the day: "I've always sensed for myself an obligation to bear witness to my time."
Athol Fugard
The South African playwright was born on June 11, 1932
