The City Park Stakeholders Forum was held last month, 7th September at the National Museum of Kenya, headquarters in Nairobi, to discuss and deliberate on the principles for future development and governance of City Park.

The well attended forum was organized by Friends of City Park in conjunction with Nairobi City County Government and National Museums of Kenya. It drew 230 participants, 80 national and international agencies, civil society, youth and academic institutions who actively participated in the discussions.

The discussion were broken down into six workshops that covered safety and security, having secure boundaries, cleaning the park, biodiversity and historical features, and sustainable management of the park.

Stakeholders sought a better understanding of the threats that face City Park and deliberated on how best they could participate in managing City Park in a sustainable way. While expressing delight at the variety of activities, habitats and histories that City Park offer, stakeholders also expressed concern for its integrity and preservation.

Keynote speakers during the stakeholder’s forum were Professor Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and Dr. Manu Chandaria, Chairman of the Chandaria Foundation.

Other notable speakers included:
Dr. Purity Kiura, Director of Antiquities, Sites and Monuments, National Museums of Kenya
Mr. Patrick Analo, Assistant Director of Urban Design and Landscapes, Nairobi City County Government
Professor Suki Mwendwa, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Technology, Innovation and Partnership, Technical University of Kenya and
Catherine Ngarachu, Chair Friends of City Park

All speakers called for a stop to land grabs, which have put green spaces and national monuments in Nairobi under threat.

The key outcomes from the forum were:

•    Need to tackle cleanliness and safety within the park
•    City park to remain inclusive for all
•    Securing the boundaries with a fence to ensure its permanence
•    Setting up a trust that will bring together stakeholders to oversee its sustainable management.

We are actively documenting all the discussions and action points from the workshop so that we can create an Action Plan for City Park’s regeneration.

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