Residents of the Mirema area in Nairobi County have had to contend with noise pollution emanating from three nightclubs and a church which remain operational despite a court order directing their closure.
The Amani Welfare Resident Association in Mirema had targetted the four institutions by airing the challenges they faced over the constant noise pollution.
As a result, the Environment and Land Court (ELC) ordered the four establishments to be closed and imposed a Ksh5 million fine on April 11, 2024.
According to the Constitution, any person aggrieved by a court ruling shall file a Notice of Appeal within 14 days of receipt.
This means that the four establishments were required to appeal the ruling before April 25, 2024.
The association has since lamented that the clubs and the church remain operational and continue to disrupt the residents living nearby by using loud sound systems during the entire night.
When reached for comment, the association's chairperson Dominic Mbigi told Kenyans.co.ke that they would prosecute the four institutions in the coming weeks for contempt of court.
If the charges are validated, the management of the four institutions could face stiff penalties at the judges' discretion.
"Yes, we shall prosecute them. Who else shall represent the people and fight for their rights?" Mbigi noted.
The association complained that revellers throng the nightclubs from 7:30 pm and make merry until the following morning.
"Some of the neighbours near those places have had to soundproof their homes because the noise is unbearable. For instance, if you have prayers the whole night regardless of the neighbourhood, it's not kind. I think it's not the biblical way," Preacher Obadiah Mwaura, who is also a member of the association, stated.
"We have had to be caught in traffic jams at midnight because of the scores of people in the vicinity. A distance of 800 metres takes almost an hour to complete," he added.
Roysambu MCA Sospeter Gathahu Mumbi joined the fray and acknowledged the implications of the noise, noting that the majority of revellers reside outside Mirema.
"Those benefitting from these clubs to a larger extent are not from Mirema. So they cause mayhem and disturbance and then head to their respective residence," MCA Gathahu remarked.
The lawyer representing one of the establishments could not be reached for comment.
Last year, Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja banned operations of nightclubs near residential areas following an uproar over noise pollution.
He added that the licensed clubs would be situated along commercial areas with limited residential developments.
