Parliament Buildings and Uhuru Park, Nairobi

Uhuru Park is a 12.9

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...

recreational park adjacent to the central business district of

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

. It was opened to the general public by the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on 23 May 1969. It contains an

artificial lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

, several national monuments, and an assembly ground which has become a popular skateboarding spot on weekends and also a location for local skateboarding competitions (best trick contest 2017), catering to Nairobi's growing skate scene. Apart from skateboarding, the assembly ground is used for occasional political and religious gatherings. It is infamous as the site where protest against illegal land grabbing was violently broken up by the Moi regime. In 2021, the park came under scrutiny for an attempted renovation which included removing old trees. A national court halted the project, due to environmental concerns.

History

In 1989,

Wangari Maathai Wangarĩ Muta Maathai (; 1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011) was a Kenyan social, environmental and a political activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. As a beneficiary of the Kennedy Airlift, she studied in the Un ...

and many of her followers held a protest at the park, attempting to stop the construction of the 60-storey Kenya Times Media Trust business complex. She was forced by the government to vacate her office and was vilified in parliament, but her protests and the government's response led foreign investors to cancel the project.The Ecologist (2001)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Retrieved 2009-04-10. In August 1996, a group led by a

Catholic cardinal A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

and Archbishop Maurice Michael Otunga burned a heap of condoms in Uhuru Park. Uhuru Park was the scene of a bomb blast in June 2010, which killed six people and left over 100 people injured. The attack targeted a "NO" campaign rally for the forthcoming constitutional referendum.Afrique en ligne, June 14, 2010
Kenya: Death toll from Kenya bomb attacks rises
/ref>

Gallery

National Monument at Uhuru Park.jpg, National Monument Nyayo Monument 2007.jpg, Nyayo Monument City view from Uhuru Park, Nairobi.jpg, Nairobi skyline from the park Orange Democratic Movement campaign rally 2007.jpg,

Orange Democratic Movement The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is a centre-left political party in Kenya. It is the successor of a grassroots people's movement which was formed during the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum campaign. This movement separated in Augu ...

rally Rally or rallye may refer to: Gatherings * Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade * Pep rally, an event held at a United States school or college sporting event Sport ...

, 2007 Uhuru Park Lake.jpg, Lake Uhuru park fountain.jpg, Fountain

References

{{coord, 1, 17, 25, S, 36, 49, 02, E, display=title, region:KE_type:landmark Nairobi Parks in Kenya