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Kenya: Uhuru, Central Parks to Reopen to the Public February Next Year

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4 years ago

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Uhuru Park and Central Park will be reopened to the public in February next year, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has said. The two parks, located adjacent to Nairobi City centre, have been closed for a more than a month now to allow for renovations.

According to NMS Head of Strategic Communications Tony Mbarine, the upgrade of the two parks will continue until February when people will again be allowed to access the recreational areas with facilities befitting a modern city.

Allaying fears that Uhuru Park has been grabbed by a private developer, Mr Mbarine clarified that NMS is upgrading the parks using their own contractors and not a private contractor and “there is no way we can do the upgrade while the park is open”.

“The parks have been outdated for long. A lot of things were not working and we are just doing what should have been done 20 years ago. By February, they (Uhuru and Central Parks) will be open as very beautiful parks,” said Mr Mbarine.

He said the renovation exercise involves fitting in modern facilities and amenities which the parks have been lacking with the parks being neglected for many years hence the need for an upgrade.

Mr Mbarine pointed out that the basic facilities at the parks were built for people in 1960s and 80s who were less than one million at the time but now Nairobi has over four million residents.

“The grass has not been managed well where it was more weeds than grass, no services, no amenities like proper toilets, no activities for kids except bouncing castles and others brought from outside. We are now improving the features by putting up facilities that will make the parks look modern,” he said.