Court Orders NMS to Stop Ongoing Renovations at Uhuru Park

A Nairobi court has suspended the ongoing refurbishment of Uhuru Park in Nairobi pending the hearing and determination of a petition challenging the exercise.

The Environment and Lands Court issued the orders on Tuesday following a case filed by the Communist Party of Kenya which argues that no public participation or environment impact assessment was done before the renovations commenced.

Through lawyers Nelson Havi and Benedict Wachira, the party also claims the respondents (Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and the County Assembly of Nairobi) are destroying the flora and fauna at the park by cutting down trees.

“The 1st Respondent has also initiated a process of replacing the green lawn of grass at the park with concrete cement blocks, an action which, unless stalled by this Court, will greatly degrade the botanical and environmental qualities of the Park to the detriment of Nairobi residents who have been the greatest beneficiaries of the same,” the petitioner says.

The petitioner also wants the court to stop further destruction of historic sites at the park, saying that the respondents have already demolished the historic pavilion at Uhuru Park.

"The project is shrouded in secrecy, where the whole Park has been blocked from the public, and all attempts by the petitioner to gain information on the project from the 1st and 2nd respondents have failed," reads the documents.

The party is seeking orders to have the facility reinstated to its position before the renovations, including planting grass and trees and rebuilding the main pavilion.