Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced that the public will be able to visit Uhuru and Central Parks for free.
The governor stated that the parks will be open to the public in December during the flagging off of World Tourism Day at City Hall on Tuesday.
The parks will reopen after a 13-month closure to undergo renovations.
“This is just the beginning, the county is in the process of rehabilitating all the parks across the county where our people can rest and enjoy the environment,” Sakaja said.
Mohammed Badi, the director general of Nairobi Metropolitan Services, had previously stated that it would be up to the governor to decide whether the county would charge an entrance fee to the parks.
Sakaja also stated that his administration is in the process of reclaiming all social spaces that have been seized and repurposing them so that young people can use their talents and be creative.
“Some scrupulous people have grabbed some of these social amenities areas, we are reclaiming them, improving them and will create new ones to ensure every sub-county has at least a recreational facility,” he added.
In response to his pledge to support the creative economy, the governor stated that he is in talks with the national government to zero-rate music and studio equipment in order to support growth and expansion of the creative industry in Nairobi and Kenya.
After 11 months of closure and renovations, Uhuru and Central parks were officially commissioned on September 12, by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
