Uhuru Gardens National Monument

Uhuru Gardens is one of Nairobi’s most important national memorial landscapes—a spacious park along Lang’ata Road created to anchor Kenya’s independence story in a place people can still walk, sit, and reflect. It is widely referenced as the grounds of the midnight independence ceremony of 12 December 1963, when the Kenyan flag was first raised as British rule ended. At the heart of the site stands the 24-metre Independence Commemorative Monument (built in 1973): a tall column crowned by symbolism of unity and peace, with a sculptural scene of the flag-raising alongside it. The gardens also preserve the Mũgumo (fig) tree, planted to mark the symbolic spot associated with the lowering of the British flag and the hoisting of Kenya’s national flag—linking the park’s design directly to the country’s founding moment. Beyond remembrance, the park functions as a generous recreational ground—lawns for picnics, open walks, and room to breathe away from the city core. Official and public guides commonly list it as open daily, typically in the 8:00–8:30am to 6:00pm range, and National Museums of Kenya materials also reference site rates and operational guidance (including structured ticketing/payment processes). The site is also evolving into a larger heritage destination through the Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum concept. Government updates have described phased development of a museum complex with multiple galleries—reporting in 2022 indicated completed galleries and a target for remaining galleries by 2025, and a 2025 Ministry of Defence update reflects continued senior-level engagement with the project on-site.