CHRISTINA WANGARI GARDEN: The Beating Green Heart of Thika

By Jaymo Wa Thika,

At the heart of Thika town, enclosed by the daily rhythm of traffic, human movement and commerce, stands a treasured landmark, Christina Wangari Garden..... A breathing space for the people, a historical marker and a symbol of public dignity. 

It is more than a park. It is a symbol of heritage, community and resilience. A place where strangers wait, workers rest and memories breathe. For many, it remains the beating green heart of Thika.

Who Was Christina Wangari?

Mama Christina Wangari was a Mau Mau freedom fighter from neighbouring Murang’a.

Though not as nationally known as figures like Dedan Kimathi or Field Marshal Muthoni Kirima, Christina Wangari held a prominent local role, especially among women and grassroots movements. Her activities in the resistance and community leadership left a lasting impression on the people of Thika and Central Kenya.

Her connection to Thika likely stems from the strategic Mau Mau activity across the greater Kiambu–Murang’a region, where Thika served both as a colonial administrative and commercial centre and as a battleground for freedom struggles.

The park pays tribute to the many unsung women who fought for Kenya’s independence. Though little is written about her in official records, oral histories recognise Christina Wangari as a fearless mobiliser of women and a quiet warrior for liberation.

Why the Garden Was Named After Her

The decision to name the park after Christina Wangari was made in the early 2000s, as a way to honor female figures in Kenya’s independence movement, many of whom had been overlooked in public memory. Naming a public park in her name was symbolic. It represented peace, rest, community and remembrance.

Before being renamed, the garden was simply a municipal green park, a public space established by the colonial government, later handed over to the Thika Municipal Council.

Strategic and Symbolic Location

Christina Wangari Garden sits at a strategic and historic location in the heart of Thika town, being sandwiched by four major roads: Kenyatta Highway, Uhuru Street, Commercial Street and Kwame Nkrumah Street.

It neighbours landmarks such as the Thika Post Office, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), the Thika Sub-County Offices (formerly Thika Town Hall), The Thika Police Station and the DCC's and government offices

At the corner end of  the park, stands the old historic and monumental Thika Clock Tower.

Christina Wangari Garden is surrounded by the town’s civic infrastructure, financial institutions and daily life. This makes it one of the most accessible and visible public spaces in all of Thika, both a meeting point and a point of identity.

Ownership and Management

Christina Wangari Garden covers roughly 1 to 1.5 acres, though this is an approximation, as official boundary maps are not publicly available.

It is public land owned by the Kiambu County Government, having originally been under the Thika Municipal Council prior to devolution in 2010. 

It is maintained by the Department of Environment and Urban Development under the county government. 

Public Amenities

Inside the garden is a public toilet facility, accessible for a small fee and managed under a county tender system. Users are charged typically between Ksh. 10-20 to use the toilets.

It serves hundreds of people daily, especially visitors from rural areas who have no other public facility in the town.

In the yesteryears, the park featured a beautiful water fountain and a fish pond, adding charm and elegance. These features made the garden popular for families and school children. Though no longer functional, their memory remains part of the park's cultural fabric.

A Social and Cultural Hub

Every day, Christina Wangari Garden offers a cool and therapeutic resting and waiting point for hundreds of people and job seekers.

Job seekers, hawkers, and bodaboda riders unwind after hours of hustle. They enjoy quick naps, as snacks and drinks. Street photographers hunt for clients from this steady foot traffic.

The park also serves as the unofficial orientation point for newcomers, with directions often ending in: “Ningoje kwa garden ya Christina Wangari.” 

For many first-time visitors to Thika town, the park serves as the easiest, most recognisable place to wait for their hosts.

It is also that place where street preachers, artists and storytellers often find a ready audience.

It is a micro-economy thriving around a public space — a reminder that urban parks are not just recreational; they are economic engines for the everyday Kenyan.

Current State:

Today, Christina Wangari Garden stands in a state of visible neglect.... The grass is dry, the flowers are gone and the water fountain is long dead. The fish pond has dried up and been overtaken by weeds.

Over the years, there have been calls to improve its security, cleanliness and make it a true public heritage space.

Some aging trees pose a safety hazard especially during the rainy seasons. The perimeter fence has been vandalised, leaving parts of the park open and insecure. Furthermore, there is very minimal lighting at night, making the park unsafe after dark.

The last time the park saw real improvement was during a 2020 World Bank-funded upgrade. But those gains were short-lived, due to poor follow-up and a lack of county maintenance.

A Place Full of Potential

Despite the passage of time, Christina Wangari Garden remains one of the most important civic spaces in Thika. Its location, symbolic value and public use give it immense potential.

Imagine a restored green space with flowerbeds, shaded paths and modern benches with a children’s fun zones and recreational facilities that make it family-friendly. Or a park with eco-cafés, public art installations, and a venue for cultural events.

This would attract school tours, weekend events, storytelling corners, and photo exhibitions.

With proper planning, the garden can become a model urban park, a tourism magnet and a community anchor for generations to come.

The restoration of Christina Wangari Garden should not be left to fate. Kiambu County Government, urban planners, civic leaders and residents should rally together to restore landscaping and irrigation, reintroduce lighting for safety, rebuild the vandalised perimeter fence, rehabilitate the fountain and green spaces and secure proper management and public-private partnerships for sustainability.

In doing so, we will not only honour Mama Christina Wangari, but also restore pride in the heart of Thika town.

“You can tell the character of a nation by how it treats its public spaces.” Let this garden tell a better story.

In restoring it, Thika will not only honour a freedom fighter, it will revive a communal heartbeat, where lives intersect and where history lives on in the rustle of trees, the laughter of children and the rhythm of the people.

“The greatness of a town is not measured by how tall its buildings rise, but by how well it protects the spaces where its people rest.” 

Let Christina Wangari Garden rise again — for the people, for the future, and for the hero whose name it carries.