Wilson Airport Shut Down To Allow Country Celebrate 60th Jamhuri Day At Uhuru Gardens

• On Tuesday, December 12, thousands of Kenyans thronged Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi to celebrate Kenya’s 60th Jamhuri Day
• Interior PS Raymond Omollo said 30,000 would attend the fete at Uhuru Gardens, and parallel celebrations taking place in other counties
• As Kenyans were waiting for the president to arrive, there was some drama as some scrambled over umbrellas being distributed at the venue

Dennis Lubanga, a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than 10 years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Nairobi - Wilson Airport has been closed as Jamhuri Day national celebrations get underway at Uhuru Gardens.

The closure has affected several flights, especially those used by tourists visiting various attractions in the country.

"We have just received a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) indicating changes to the closure period. Please be advised that Wilson Airport and the airspace will be closed from 0830 to 1410 local time. This means that some flights will be arriving and departing from JKIA and not Wilson Airport as previously scheduled," reads a notice from Safarilink Airlines.

According to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), domestic airlines that fly out of Wilson Airport in Nairobi have adopted the changes.

How Kenyans turned up at Uhuru Gardens

Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that on Tuesday, December 12, thousands of Kenyans thronged Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi to celebrate Kenya’s 60th Jamhuri Day.

Interior PS Raymond Omollo said 30,000 people were expected to attend the fete at Uhuru Gardens, and parallel celebrations taking place in other counties.

Meanwhile, as Kenyans were waiting for the president to arrive, there was some drama as some scrambled over umbrellas being distributed at the venue.

The umbrellas were being distributed for free by the government. The scramble could be attributed to the ongoing heavy rains in the country.

Apart from Kenyans, other dignitaries, among them visiting heads of state, arrived at Uhuru Gardens to join Ruto in the celebrations.

Who are the visiting dignitaries?

Among the visiting presidents at Uhuru Gardens are Hussein Ali Mwinyi of Zanzibar and Sahle Work Zewde of Ethiopia.

Other foreign dignitaries at the event include Deputy President of Burundi Prosper Bazombanza, Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda, and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga.

The dignitaries join up to 30,000 Kenyans attending the national celebrations that mark the day Kenya attained independence.