The Principal Secretary for Interior and Citizen Services, Dr. Karanja Kibicho, is set to lead the National Celebrations Committee for the final tour of the Uhuru Gardens Stadium ahead of Sunday’s Jamhuri Day celebrations.
Uhuru Gardens is a commemorative park erected in remembrance of the country’s transformation into a republic, breaking the traditional annual celebrations at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Up to 11,000 people will attend this year’s celebrations at the newly built Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi in compliance with the coronavirus containment protocols.
On 12th December 1963 when Kenya gained independence, world leaders and hundreds of Kenyans thronged the gardens to mark the country’s historic day.
The event would mark the Uhuru Gardens’ significance to the country’s history.
The park is located along Lang’ata Road and it contains three monuments, including a Fig Tree or Mugumo Tree, the 20th Anniversary Monument, and the 25th Anniversary Monument.
On 12th December 1963, as Kenya celebrated its independence, the first Kenyan flag was hoisted in the garden. In 1966, Uhuru Gardens was declared a national monument.
A fig tree or a Mugumo tree planted by Founding President Jomo Kenyatta was declared a national monument.
The symbolic tree was planted on the spot where the British flag otherwise known as Union Jack was brought down and replaced with the Kenyan flag.
Other monuments comprise the independence commemorative monument, built-in 1973, a twenty-four-meter-high column, supporting a pair of clasped hands and a dove of peace.
It celebrates the declaration of independence at midnight, 12 December 1963, and the inauguration of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, and a statue of soldiers raising the Kenyan flag and a fountain celebrating “Twenty-Five years of Uhuru – peace, love and unity monument”.
Over the years the park has been a popular venue for school parties, corporate events, concerts, weddings, and filmmaking.
On March 1, 2021, the National Museums of Kenya disclosed that it was developing a museum on heroism and other related facilities.
Since then, the gates to Uhuru Gardens have remained closed as refurbishment commenced at the popular mausoleum and recreation point.
This year, President Uhuru Kenyatta will preside over the 58th Jamhuri day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens.
Uhuru Gardens will now be Kenya’s largest memorial park.
