Muliro Gardens sheds sordid past, reclaims reputation as family-friendly green space

Muliro Gardens. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

From a sordid past, Muliro Gardens in Kakamega town exude the ambience of a picturesque recreation park today. Indigenous trees, different species of bamboo, metal frame benches, and an assortment of flowers complemented by garden lights and cabro-paved pathways give it its breathtaking beauty.  

On weekends, people seeking relaxation hardly find space since the only recreation park in town fills up quite early. Enclosed within two entrances, the park’s open hours fall between 6am and 6pm daily. At night, both entrances are sealed.  

Muliro Gardens is sandwiched between the triangle formed by the Kakamega-Kisumu Highway, Sudi Road, and Mumias Highway and shares a fence with the County headquarters offices. 

“Muliro has undergone a phenomenal transformation from the time it hit news headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2011 and the advent of devolution,” Ezekiel Kundu, a resident, says.

In 2011, Kenyans were stunned by sordid pictures posted on the web that showed Muliro Gardens had been turned into an open-air brothel where young couples made love on the benches in broad daylight. Unknown to them, a hidden photographer had been taking explicit photos that he later posted online. 

The unflattering reputation that followed the sordid revelation shocked the locals, their leadership, and the church.

Today, however, all that is the past and its fame is fully back. Muliro Gardens is a gazetted national monument under the National Museums of Kenya in which a lot of decent activities go on today that don’t leave room for mischief. Once again, Muliro Gardens is a fully functional recreational garden offering relaxation and silence.  

The county government has added to its appeal by providing free Wi-Fi services. “Sometimes I come here just to relax and take advantage of the free Wi-FI services. The services are not available every day, but they are available all the same,” Amwayi Michael said.

One of the many people we found in the park who declined to give us his name said the quiet atmosphere gives him peace but added that he does not trust free public Wi-Fi and eschews it. “I do not want anybody monitoring what I do on my phone,” he said. 

A partnership between the County Government of Kakamega and the Kakamega Photographers Sacco formed in 2019 has ensured Muliro regains its former glory. 

“We are in charge of security during the day, ensuring those who visit the gardens are not harassed by street children”, says Benjamin Sakwa, Chairman of the Sacco. Besides overseeing security in the gardens, the Sacco members ensure there is no littering or vandalism of fixed furniture. They also are in charge of planting and tending to flowers, which they say are critical to their business.  

“In exchange for what we do, the county government has allowed us to conduct our business in the gardens. That is why it was necessary to form a Sacco that today has more than 20 members,” Sakwa says. Only members of the Sacco can ply their trade in the gardens.  

We found Kalami Frazier, one of the photographers in the park, carefully positioning a black umbrella-shaped light enhancement equipment called a 'soft box’, ready to attend to a client.

“We make a living from photography in these revamped gardens”, he says. “Most of our clients come during the weekend when they are free. This environment is ideal for taking photos. On average we charge Sh100 per photoshoot. If there is any editing or manipulation to be done to enhance a photograph, the charges go up a little. On a good day, I can take home Sh2,000”. 

Muliro Gardens has toilet facilities and a cafeteria. Wesley Agwata who runs the cafeteria says all is good in terms of returns, especially during the weekends when many people visit the park. When The Standard team visited his business premises, the place was fully packed. “I deal in fast foods, and the business picks up well during the weekend,” he says. “Many of the clients are students from nearby schools and the Masinde Muliro University.”. 

Like any business, there are challenges. “Once in a while, street kids sneak in and solicit food from my customers,” Agwata says. “However, we have found a way around this problem by giving the kids the unsold food at the end of the day.”  

Yet, amid this beauty, the vagaries of climate change and altered weather patterns pose a threat. A few weeks ago, heavy, windy rains brought down some big trees in Muliro Gardens and adjoining areas. Some of the old trees were tossed about so much that their roots gave way. They now pose a danger to people in the park and nearby buildings.