The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has ordered the closure of Habanos Lounge following complaints about the club's conduct.
In a statement released on Wednesday, April 16, NEMA confirmed that a closure order had been issued to the renowned club after it failed to comply with directives aimed at controlling noise emanating from the establishment.
“NEMA yesterday issued a Closure Order to Habanos Lounge, located along Northern Bypass, following persistent noise complaints from neighbours and failure by the club to adhere to previous orders to control noise pollution. The orders are to take effect immediately,” read the statement.
Notably, the club, which borders Kiambu Road and the Northern Bypass, is strategically placed near affluent residential areas - a dynamic which has led to increased calls to mitigate excessive noise levels.
The move by NEMA also came amid pressure from a government official, who on April 5, openly called out the establishment, claiming that neighbouring houses were forced to resort to extreme measures to mitigate the noise.
Several homes neighbouring the Habanos Lounge reportedly had to install soundproof systems because of the noise.
“Dear HABANOS, please install Soundproof and copy your neighbour’s BND. The children & families as far off as Ridgeways live as if they are inside your club. An old lady told me she has had to invest in soundproofing her house because of the noise. Please,” the government official pointed out.
As far as the noisy entertainment joints are concerned, NEMA has been at the forefront of cracking down on such establishments, particularly those located at the heart of residential areas.
In March, the authority issued warnings to three nightclubs in Lavington, urging them to come up with effective noise mitigation strategies or risk similar enforcement actions.
Nightclubs are not the only establishments under NEMA's radar. The authority's Environmental Education director, Ayub Macharia, recently noted that laws would be enforced on churches if they were found to be operating beyond the required noise levels.
“Any facility reported by the public for causing noise pollution will attract enforcement action from NEMA and be compelled to; immediately stop any operations that support or generate noise pollution and undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with adequate public participation,” said Ayub.
The Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Noise and Excessive Vibration Pollution) (Control) Regulations, 2009, delineate maximum permissible noise levels across various zones.
For instance, in silent zones such as health facilities and educational institutions, noise should not exceed 40 decibels during the day and 35 decibels at night. Residential areas have limits set at 50 decibels during the daytime and 35 decibels at night, while commercial zones permit up to 60 decibels during the day and 35 at night.
