The plan to construct a night club at Uhuru Park as announced last week by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has been put on hold following a meeting between the county chief and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
LSK, through its chairperson Faith Odhiambo stated that the plan fronted by a private investor and supported by Sakaja would have to undergo public participation before any move is made.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke in an interview, Odhiambo revealed that LSK representatives had asked the Governor to halt the process of inviting interested parties to submit bids until the public participation process was completed.
She further elaborated that LSK would air its honest opinions throughout the process and would hold the Governor to account based on the public's wishes.
“We maintained our position that the Governor will have to abide by the rule of law, we will ensure that no action will be taken outside the confines of the law,” stated Faith
Dr. Owiso Owiso another, also from the LSK confirmed to journalists that LSK demanded that the Governor pen a letter reiterating that public parks would not be commercialised.
“I hereby demand that you immediately withdraw the statements and confirm in a letter signed and sealed with the county seal that Uhuru Park and all open green spaces such as parks maintained by the county will not be commercialised,” Owiso stated.
However, Sakaja is yet to announce a public participation process on the matter.
The meeting follows the uproar of Kenyans who questioned the rationale behind building a night club and a dancing fountain at the public space.
Previously, the Governor had invited interested parties to present bids for the construction of a nightclub worth Ksh 156 million.
"We are going to issue tenders for business facilities that are here. We have restaurants, such as African restaurants. There is a nightclub that is going to be here”.
"You can come here and scream the way you want. We do not want noise in the estates. That tendering will be done in a very transparent way," Sakaja stated.
