Uhuru Park

Uhuru Park is a recreational park in the capital city of Nairobi.  It features the Independence Monument, a recreational man-made lake, vast grassy ground and trees with occasional benches to rest on.

The park is popular hang-out location and picnic site for families and couples and also features an area for holding mass events such as rallies, prayers, speeches, concerts, crusades and other public events.

It is historically known as the site with a spot called ‘The Freedom Corner’ where demonstration against unlawful land grabbing was viciously broken up by the former President Moi.

The late Professor Wangari Maathai was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for her intense environmental conservation efforts to safeguard the park and other locations from land grabbing and deforestation by the former Moi regime.  She was the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an organization whose focus was on environmental conservation.  Towards this end, she also wrote and published several books.  She was not only recognized locally but also internationally.  Her funeral service, which was open to the public, was held at the Uhuru Park and in her honor a tree was also planted on the same day.

At the edge of Uhuru Park is Lunar Park, an amusement park.