The Nairobi City County Government has put a halt to plans to revoke licenses for 43 city clubs that were scheduled to close due to noise pollution.
The City Hall action followed a meeting between the bar owners and Nairobi Deputy Governor Njoroge Muchiri, who directed the club owners to follow the rules and regulations or face legal action.
Muchiri urged liquor stores to self-regulate and invest in soundproofing in order to reduce noise pollution and maintain peaceful coexistence in residential areas.
“Our manifesto is to enable businesses to thrive, and we have a duty and an obligation to ensure we create a conducive environment for businesses to operate, but you must not infringe on residents rights,” Muchiri said.
Muchiri told the bar owners that the county government is committed to protecting businesses, emphasizing the importance of engaging in dialogue to find a long-term solution.
He emphasized the importance of collaboration and continuous dialogue between the business community and the residents association in ensuring that zoning laws are followed within residential areas in order to avoid conflict.
“The Sakaja government is pro-business and we want to grow business, we are focusing on changing how our enforcement is done, and change to be customer-based and offering support to businesses and not harassing them,” Muchiri said.
The Bar Owners Association, led by Chairperson Mike Muthamia, has called for a review of the county liquor licensing and alcoholic laws, claiming that the current regulations are out of date and must be updated to reflect the city’s modern lifestyle and business environment.
Muthamia stated that bar owners are willing to self-regulate under the supervision of the county government in order to ensure peaceful coexistence between residents and business owners.
“We are ready to self-regulate, we also need to have a representative of the residents’ association included in the sub county liquor licensing Committee,” he said.
Muchiri also stated that City Hall’s plan to decentralize the city into five boroughs is still on track in order to address a slew of issues plaguing the hospitality industry.
The new city administration promised in their manifesto to divide Nairobi into North, East, West, South, and Central administration blocks to facilitate access to public services and management.
The bars which include Loft, Orchid Lounge, Oyster Bay, Dejavu, Ibury, Samaki Samaki, Numero 5, Castle Inn Gardens, Clique Lounge, and Pioneer Resort were subject of numerous petitions by residents in various parts of the city including Kileleshwa.
