Sakaja Under Fresh Pressure To Act On Noisy Places Of Worship

According to religious laws it is mostly advised that no building should be above or below a mosque...

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Jan 26, 2023 - 06:52 Updated: Jan 26, 2023 - 06:56
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Sakaja Under Fresh Pressure To Act On Noisy Places Of Worship
Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja during a church service on January 22, 2023. /FACEBOOK.JOHNSON SAKAJA

Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja is facing renewed calls for action to be taken against places of worship including mosques and churches, which have been accused by residents of noise pollution.

Entertainment journalist and content creator, Cheptoek Boyo, sent out an appeal on Wednesday, January 25 to the county government to intervene with regards to a mosque in the South C residential area which she claims has been disrupting the peace of residents.

In a video seen by Viral Tea, Boyo 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.

Collage of entertainment journalist Cheptoek Boyo and a mosque in South C. /FACEBOOK

"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."

"We also call upon our governor, Hon. Sakaja, please deal with this matter. I don't think it is right to have a mosque in an apartment and I think there are regulations about that.

"I also call upon NEMA who are in charge of noise pollution, please do something. For Kenyans, please help me by signing this petition because you never know, tomorrow it might be in your neighbourhood where you are dealing with noise pollution, it might not be about mosque but something else," Boyo concluded.

A spot check by Viral Tea on the petition posted on Change.org showed that it has been signed by 350 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. 

"The loud noise, especially between 4am and 5am  is making our lives unbearable. This petition seeks to address this matter. We demand that the noise be reduced or the mosque to be shut down. 

"It is unfair that we can no longer enjoy the peace and quiteness that we had before. We believe this is a matter that Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has pushing for and we seek his address to the matter," describes the petition.

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.

He further revealed that his government will engage them regarding the concerns raised before banning the night church services, popularly known as "keshas", the same way he did with the nightclubs.

Watch the video: