Wangari Maathai's Movement To Sue Johnson Sakaja Over Plans To Build Night Club At Uhuru Park

• Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, on April 18, unveiled plans to build restaurants and a club in Uhuru Park
• However, the late Professor Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement has demanded that the governor recant his statements and drop his plans
• They said that the park is a green zone and threatened to take Sakaja to court should he fail to address their concerns before 6 pm

The late Professor Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement has threatened to sue Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.

Why does Wangari Maathai's movement want to sue Sakaja?

On April 18, Governor Sakaja unveiled plans to commercialise Nairobi's Uhuru Park.

The governor proposed the introduction of business facilities such as restaurants.

Sakaja also shared plans to construct a nightclub in the park.

"We agreed we should stop making noise in the estates, come here and scream until the cows come home. Because that is the zone, do your parties here. So whoever wants to build a club on that side can be able to come and build it because we want to bring back entertainment into the CBD," he said.

However, it seems environmentalists were not pleased with Sakaja's remarks.

What are the environmentalists' demands for Sakaja?

In a stern legal notice dated April 19, the Green Belt movement, in conjunction with the Law Society of Kenya, demanded that the governor recant his statement and withdraw his commercialisation plans.

They noted that the park was a green zone that needed to remain so.

The environmentalist demanded that Sakaja present an official signed and sealed letter declaring that all green zones and parks will not be commercialised.

Further, they said they would take legal action against the governor if he did not heed their demands before 6 pm.

"Acknowledging that the statements on commercialisation of Uhuru Park fall beyond the scope of its establishment, I have instructions to demand from you, which I hereby do, that you immediately, withdraw the pronouncements, and in a letter signed and sealed with the Seal of the County, affirm that Uhuru Park and all open green spaces such as parks maintained by the County shall not be commercialised. We demand that this be done no later than Friday, April 19 2024, by 6:00 pm.

"I hope that reason shall prevail and that the demands made herein shall be met, failure to which I shall proceed to seek legal redress for my clients and the great people of Nairobi." the letter read.

The activists also sought to know the time frame within which Central Park would be re-opened and the progress made by the county governments towards ensuring the creation, protection, and promotion of non-commercialised green spaces in at least every sub-county within Nairobi.

Kipchumba Murkomen Recounts Heartbreaking Events After Chavakali Boys Accident: "Didn't Sleep"
Florence Robert: Migori Pastors To Hold Night Vigil In Honour Of Late Singer, Announce Burial Date
20+ Bible Verses About Grief To Comfort You At A Time Of Loss

The late Wangari Maathai smiles as she hugs a tree (left) and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja smiles as he poses for a photo(right). A water feature at Uhuru Park (inset).

Wangari Maathai's Movement to Sue Johnson Sakaja Over Plans to Build

Wangari Maathai | Biography, Nobel Peace Prize, Books, Green Belt