Green Belt Movement demands Sakaja drops plans to open nightclub at Uhuru Park

The Green Belt Movement, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and Dr Owiso Owiso Advocate have demanded that the Governor retract his plans by 6PM on Friday, April 19.

The organisation termed the decision to commercialise the park including constructing a nightclub as one that "falls beyond the scope of its establishment".

“I have instructions to demand from you which I hereby do, that you immediately, withdraw the pronouncements, and in a letter signed and sealed with the Seal of the County, affirm that Uhuru Park and all open green spaces such as parks maintained by the County shall not be commercialized,” read the statement.

“We demand that this be done not any later than Friday, 19th April 2024 by 6:00 pm.”

GBM also wants Sakaja to declare that Uhuru Park and all green spaces will not be changed into social facilities.

Additionally, they asked the governor to declare his intentions alongside Public Participation Reports in two days on changing Uhuru Park into a commercial space.

The organisation instructed that the governor issue a timeframe to reopen Central Park and the county’s plans to protect and promote non-commercialised open green spaces in at least every sub-county. They added that he should deliver the required documents and information within three days.

The organisation asserted that if Sakaja fails to meet their demands, they will pursue legal redress on behalf of the residents of Nairobi.

This statement comes a day after Sakaja publicised his plan to introduce social facilities, including a nightclub on the Uhuru Park grounds.

"We are going to issue tenders for the business facilities that are here. We have restaurants that need to be run, a PPP for people to build, there's a Biosphere restaurant, an African restaurant, a Swahili restaurant, there is a nightclub that is going to be here," he said. 

"We agreed making noise in estates needs to stop you can come here and scream until the cows come home because that is the zone. Sherehe mfanyie hapa."