Nairobi County government has revoked all licenses for night clubs and liquor stores within residential areas, the acting county head of public service has said.
The county further said no night club licenses would be issued or renewed for establishments outside the city centre.
“Those already issued [with licenses] are hereby cancelled and the establishments may continue operating as bar and restaurants,” head of county public service Jairus Musumba said.
“Henceforth, night club licenses will be issued to premises only within the central business district and specified streets in other non-residential areas.”
These changes, Mr Musumba said, take effect immediately.
“Bars and restaurants in residential areas must operate within the specified time and control noise emanating from their premises. Specifically, playing of music must stop by 10pm,” Mr Musumba said.
This follows “numerous” complaints from the city residents on noise emanating from bars, restaurants, night clubs and liquor stores within residential areas.
While making the changes, the county has also asked the liquor selling premises to provide sufficient parking spaces for their customers.
“Vehicles causing obstruction along roads and footpaths shall be impounded,” he added.
But the directive of impounding vehicles goes against Governor Johnson Sakaja’s word of stopping county government enforcement officers from impounding and towing motor vehicles and motorcycles that violate laws in the city county.
Governor Sakaja said motorist who violate laws will be charged individually without necessarily impounding their vehicles.
"From now onwards, there will be no impounding and towing of vehicles in the CBD," said Mr Sakaja on November 18.
Noise in residential areas
The decision to introduce stringent measures comes in the backdrop of a surge of complaints from the residents over the noise emanating from the bars within residential estates.
An online browl between the former beauty queen Emma Too and Citizen TV’s Trevor Ombija that culminated in series of discussions between the business owners and regulators, and now, the county has pronounced itself on the matter.
With the decision likely to affect numerous joints in Nairobi County, like Kisumu County, the premises face closure for failure to adhere to the directive.
