Premium
Coptic Hospital under the spotlight over noise pollution
Entrance of Coptic Hospital in Nairobi, pictured on February 27, 2026.
What you need to know:
- Residents raised the alarm over what they describe as relentless nighttime and early morning noise from ongoing construction at the health facility.
- Under guidelines enforced by the Nema and the National Construction Authority, noisy construction work is permitted only between 8am and 5pm.
- Construction work is prohibited on weekends.
Nairobi residents living next to Coptic Hospital along Kindaruma Road have raised the alarm over what they describe as relentless nighttime and early morning noise from ongoing construction at the health facility.
The distressed residents say the ongoing construction has made it impossible for families to sleep, accusing the hospital of ignoring complaints and operating without following environmental regulations on noise pollution.
The residents, under the Century Gardens Management Company Limited, say heavy machinery, including excavators, drilling equipment, and metal works, has been operating late into the night in violation of National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) regulations.
“We have reached out to the management, but they have ignored us,” said the chairman of the residents’ management committee, Patrick S.L.
He said residents have endured weeks of sleepless nights due to noise from both construction works and machinery installed near residential blocks.
“We cannot sleep at night. Some of us have families and small children. How can you torture them the whole night?” said Mr Patrick S.L.
In a formal complaint dated December 9, 2025 and addressed to the leadership of the Coptic Hospital Church, residents demanded an immediate suspension of construction beyond 6:00 p.m., citing violations of environmental noise regulations and the constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment under Article 42 of the Constitution.
The complaint also raised concerns over auxiliary machinery such as air-conditioning units and laundry machines allegedly installed close to the residential perimeter wall, which residents say produce constant noise deep into the night.
When contacted by the Nation for comment, the Director General of Nema, Mamo B. Mamo, said he was not aware of the construction and promised to consult his team about it.
The Coptic Hospital management in a phone call on Thursday, promised to respond to the residents’ concerns. Later on Friday the hospital said the director who is mandated to respond to the Nation queries was in Egypt until Tuesday.
Under Kenya’s environmental laws, construction in residential areas is restricted to specific hours. Projects are required to obtain approval from Nema before commencement.
Restriction of construction time in residential areas is intended to minimise noise pollution and disruption to residents.
Under guidelines enforced by the Nema and the National Construction Authority (NCA), noisy construction work is generally permitted only between 8am and 5pm, with activities required to stop by 6pm. Construction is prohibited on weekends.
Residents say they are now considering escalating the matter to regulators and other authorities if the hospital fails to stop the noise pollution.
“We want peaceful co-existence,” Patrick S.L said. “But that cannot happen if the law is ignored and residents are treated as if they do not matter.”
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
