Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer, Geoffrey Mosiria, has announced that, going forward, clubs and other establishments found contravening the noise pollution directive will not be told to soundproof but will be required to vacate.
In a statement on Thursday, May 22, Mosiria stated that most of the establishments facing these complaints are located in residential areas and while sound-proofing works, they still contribute to moral decay, especially for children in the neighbourhoods.
As such, he revealed that the clubs would need to be moved to properly zoned commercial areas or the Central Business District.
"We shall continue to respond to all noise pollution complaints. However, moving forward, we need a more sustainable approach. This includes relocating such establishments from residential areas to properly zoned commercial areas or CBD alternatives," he stated.
"While soundproofing may help in the short term, it is not an ideal solution for premises located within residential neighbourhoods, as it still exposes young children and the broader community to inappropriate behaviour and negative influences."
Mosiria further urged Kenyans to be mindful of their neighbours and strive to do the right thing by respecting one another and promoting a safe, healthy living environment for all.
Known for his impromptu crackdowns on noisy nightclubs, Mosiria has tightened the grip on establishments that contravene county regulations, even closing several popular ones like Habanos for the same.
Even though he is hoping for the clubs to be moved to more commercial sites, Mosiria has gone for loud CBD shops before. Speaking exclusively to Kenyans.co.ke in February, he promised to bring calm to the CBD by targeting loud electronic shops.
On April 8, he launched the crackdown, stating, "We have initiated a crackdown on shops within the Central Business District (CBD) that are playing loud music. The noise pollution from these establishments has made it difficult for other business owners to operate effectively, with some even reporting health complications, including mental health issues," Mosiria stated.
Besides Mosiria, officials from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) also frequently take action against loud establishments, including churches and clubs.
Speaking in Ruiru on February 15, NEMA Director of Compliance, Dr Ayub Macharia, noted that the authority would be enforcing laws that have been neglected.
“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.
