Journalist's Expose On Noisy Places Of Worship Motivates Kileleshwa Residents
At the advent of the mosque, the neighbours suffered tremendous inconvenience arising from noise within...
Marvin Chege 
An appeal by entertainment journalist and content creator, Cheptoek Boyo to the Nairobi County government to take action against places of worship including mosques and churches, which have been accused of noise pollution has led to similar outcries by residents across the capital city.
Sierra Apartments Limited, which manages the affairs of Sierra Court which is located on Nyando Road off Makueni Road in Kileleshwa, wrote to the ward's Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai on Tuesday, February 7 to intervene regarding noise pollution from a mosque nearby.
Darul Arqam Islamic Center which also serves as a mosque is one plot away from Sierra Court. At the advent of the mosque, the neighbours suffered tremendous inconvenience arising from noise within the mosque as well as overflow of vehicular traffic which the residence noted wasn’t managed well.
Sierra Apartments, in the letter seen by Viral Tea, revealed that upon engaging with the mosque’s management, they addressed the noise by switching off the speakers in the corridors of the mosque, hiring a parking site and engaging traffic marshals.
Collage of entertainment journalist Cheptoek Boyo and a mosque in South C. /FACEBOOK
"The major concern now is the noise emanating from the mosque as a result of the installation of loudspeakers. The residents are woken up early morning at 05h00 by a loud call for prayer/actual prayer. This also occurs during the day and in the night.
"We as residents of Nyando Road are seeking to peacefully coexist with the mosque. However, the loudspeakers must be removed," the letter read in part.
Sierra added that the worshippers can quietly attend prayers without infringing on the rights of the neighbours. It further revealed that its engagement with the management of the mosque hasn’t resolved the matter
"The purpose of this letter is to kindly seek your indulgence in helping the Nyando Road residents get back the much-needed peace. Looking forward to hearing from you," added the letter.
Boyo, who runs the entertainment news website Buzz Central, sent out an appeal on Wednesday, January 25 to the county government to intervene with regard to a mosque in the South C residential area which she claimed has been disrupting the peace of residents.
She lamented that the Masjid Marwa mosque, located on the ground floor of an apartment within the residential area has been inconveniencing neighbours with constant prayer calls that have even ruined their sleep.
"As you can hear behind me, that's a mosque, and it will go like that until 8 pm at night. All through the day, that sound.
"You can't even sleep here anymore. I have lived here for four years and the mosque is actually five apartment buildings away from here and the noise keeps on getting louder and louder, and that is why I started this petition," she lamented.
She appealed to South C ward MCA, Abbas Khalif as well as Lang'ata Member of Parliament (MP) Phelix ‘Jalang’o’ Odiwour to intervene, stating that "We've told him about the situation, nothing has been done."
A spot check by Viral Tea on the petition posted on Change.org showed that it has been signed by 377 people with a target of getting to 500, which would see it more likely to be featured in the recommendations segment.
In the petition, Boyo explained that the residents of South C (Bandari Apartments Phase 1&2, Highway Estate, Real Estate, KPA Estate, Wambco apartments, Keliwad Apartments, Vision flats, Chabrin Apartments, Sulton Park Apartments and its environs) had for the past two months been subjected to untold suffering due to noise from a recently constructed mosque.
The mosque was recently opened at a new apartment complex (Taah Heights) and was blamed for becoming a nuisance.
According to religious laws, it is mostly advised that no building should be above or below a mosque unless if it's quarters for Imaams. It is frowned upon to have a building above the mosque as it is prohibited to relieve one's self, trade, engage in intimacy or have women who are menstruating above a mosque.
On December 2, 2022, Sakaja explained why he spared places of worship from the crackdown on premises responsible for noise pollution in residential areas, but warned that they will be looked at again in the near future.
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