The government has responded to concerns from members of the public who were agitated about the Nairobi Expressway Project cutting between Uhuru Park.
In an official communication by Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna, he eased Kenyans’ fears stating that Uhuru Park will remain untouched during the construction of the multi-billion Nairobi Expressway.
The only area that will be occupied by the major road is a 23-metre stretch of the park which is set aside as road reserve according to a land acquisition map.
Concerns raised by Kenyans over #NairobiExpressway and its hiving off Uhuru Park have been raised by Kenyans. We wish to clarify that the 23mtrs into the park are road reserve for Uhuru Highway, thus, Uhuru Park remains untouched. #Naiexpress #TrafficAlert pic.twitter.com/nk1yelOJ1d
— Spokesperson GoK (@SpokespersonGoK) October 24, 2019
However, even though the government has tried to save the park, a section of citizens felt that the move was not good enough demanding that the road shouldn’t go an inch close to the iconic recreational park.
Uhuru Park is a sacred area, our mothers shed blood in Uhuru Park to protect it. Tell @StateHouseKenya @KeNHAKenya to pass the not needed expressway through Kenyatta's mausoleum. The mausoleum can be moved into Gatundu and more importantly we can use the space for public toilets. https://t.co/5oPmg43pTT
— Boniface Mwangi (@bonifacemwangi) October 24, 2019
Earlier, reports that the Expressway would occupy part of the park agitated Kenyans who took to online platforms to save the area from being destroyed by this project.
Netizens termed the move by the government as a disgrace to the late Professor Wangari Mathai-an environmentalist who fought tooth and nail to safeguard the park from destruction by the KANU regime in the 1980s.
The Green Belt Movement, which is her brainchild, led Kenyans in the online war against the disputed Nairobi Express project.
The Green Belt Movement has and remains acutely alert to the full preservation and conservation of public spaces. We are thus making a clarion call to all patriotic and green-conscious Kenyans to rally behind us as we petition the relevant authorities on #UhuruPark pic.twitter.com/KzQEcx6qkm
— Green Belt Movement (@GreenBeltMovmnt) October 22, 2019
Uhuru Park has been termed as an iconic recreational centre by citizens who visit it for pleasure and shelter and has been protected for decades.
Kenyans could not sit and watch as the park was being encroached by the soon-to-be constructed highway.
According to the Consumers Federation of Kenya, cutting through the park was like handing over the facility to Chinese nationals.
Kenyans should prepare to do whatever it takes to stop the Uhuru Park handover to the Chinese for 30 years by which time they will make Sh102 bn with exclusive rights to toll the road. President Magufuli said of a similar venture: "not even a madman can accept Chinese PPPs terms" pic.twitter.com/r9sFAwhmSE
— Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) (@CofekRebranded) October 21, 2019
Apart from the Expressway cutting through the park, citizens also feel that the project is unnecessary as it will cost a huge amount of taxpayers money and fail to ease traffic congestion in the city.