Garden sheds infamous past as sex den to family haven

Before the renovation of Muliro Gardens in Kakamega County, the park was an ideal venue for sexual adventure seekers in open spaces. The behaviour became a nuisance promoting authorities to step in and restore order in 2011.

The place is now a hive of activities. Thirteen years ago, clips and photos of couples openly making out lit up social media, prompting religious leaders to visit the recreational park to cleanse it with anointing oil.

Following the intervention of the county government, the wooden benches on which randy couples made love were removed. Muliro Gardens is now a gazetted national monument complete with paved walkways, running water, metallic dustbins and manicured lawns.

Three years ago, former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya officially opened the park upon completion of the facelift, which the World Bank funded through the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP) to the tune of Sh61 million.

Today, the park is a haven for street photography, busy cafeterias, formal and informal meetings, and relaxation by couples.

The facility is now ever clean with public toilets managed by a committee put in place by the county government, dustbins placed in strategic places and anyone who is caught littering faces punishment, enforced by committee.

Couples, children, and other people who visit the place for relaxation are assured of availability of food and drinks. The park has also been installed with CCTV cameras, making it difficult for randy couples to misbehave.