Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment, Geoffrey Mosiria, claims to have been verbally attacked and threatened as he was responding to a noise pollution incident within the city on Saturday, July 6.
In a statement on Sunday, July 6, Mosiria said that the incident occurred during an event held on Dennis Pritt Road in Kilimani, opposite Roadhouse Grill and adjacent to the Spinal Injury Hospital.
Originally, Mosiria and a team from his department had received a complaint that a club that is said to be near the State House was causing excessive noise; however, after scrutiny, the team determined that the noise was actually from the event along Dennis Pritt Road.
Mosiria claimed that the event was using large sound systems, which he compared to those used at Uhuru Park. After trying to urge the organiser to reduce the noise, the organiser turned violent against the team and even went to the extent of insulting them.
According to Mosiria, the noise from the event was causing an uncomfortable environment in the neighbourhood, especially for the patients admitted to the hospital nearby.
"I calmly and respectfully asked the organisers to reduce the volume or end the event in order to stop the clear case of noise pollution," Mosiria said.
"Unfortunately, instead of cooperating, they turned violent, insulted me, and even threatened me with their lawyer trying to blackmail and intimidate us with the false claim that they had a right to such disruptive noise in that setting," he added.
Following the Mosiria incident, stressed the need for the public to repect and cooperate with public officers as they discharge their duty to maintain law, order, and dignity, especially within the country's capital.
Mosiria, who has long been firm against noise pollution within the city, stressed the need for entertainment joints and events to adhere to the necessary law, especially at night, to avoid unnecessary disturbance through noise pollution.
The Nairobi County government will not backstep in restoring order in the city and responding to noise pollution within the city, despite opposition, according to Mosiria.
"Despite all this, we stood firm and ensured the noise was stopped. Let me say this clearly: We will not be bullied or silenced in our efforts to restore order in Nairobi," Mosiria said.
"No one has the right to abuse the peace and dignity of our neighbourhoods, let alone put vulnerable hospital patients at risk. It’s painful when public officers are harassed for simply doing their jobs, but this will not weaken our resolve," he said.
