Nairobi Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria has issued a stern warning against public stripping, cautioning that individuals who engage in such acts risk stiff legal repercussions.
The warning came after a woman was seen publicly pole dancing along the busy Kenyatta Avenue as bystanders gathered around her, with some even recording the incident.
Although Mosiria described the incident as a public stripping, the footage showed the woman performing what appears to be a pole dance, which is a form of physical activity that combines dance and acrobatics on a vertical pole.
In a statement on Sunday, November 16, Mosiria noted that the county government cannot allow such displays, especially in the CBD, branding them as unlawful and immoral and putting the morality of children at risk.
Mosiria noted that such acts contravene several provisions of the law, including the Penal Code and the Sexual Offences Act, which prohibit public stripping or any other indecent and immoral acts displayed in public.
Public stripping is considered a violation of cultural and religious norms. It can be punished under the Sexual Offences Act, leading to a prison sentence of at least five years or potentially a fine. The penalties, however, depend on the specific offence.
"If we fail to act now, we risk normalising behaviours that corrupt our values and expose our children to influences they should never encounter. Our responsibility is to safeguard both the dignity of our city and the morality of the next generation.
"After consulting widely, honestly, this is too much, and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen, especially in the CBD, where children are seeing what they shouldn’t be seeing. This is promoting immorality indirectly," he added.
Despite receiving text messages from residents warning him against intervening, Mosiria said that he will be at the vanguard to stop such behaviour in the CBD.
Mosiria said that preventing such acts will be pivotal in not only shielding the moral well-being of the future generation but also protecting the dignity of the city as the country's capital.
"I’ve just received the 79th message on my WhatsApp from a city resident, all of them saying the exact same thing as the previous 78. They are saying I should not interfere with other people's businesses. I usually mind my own business, but here, you will have to help me understand," Mosiria said.
"If we fail to act now, we risk normalising behaviours that corrupt our values and expose our children to influences they should never encounter. Our responsibility is to safeguard both the dignity of our city and the morality of the next generation," he added.
On the other hand, Mosiria said that his department will continue reinforcing efforts to halt other illegal activities, such as noise pollution and illegal waste dumping.
