Why Govt Should Be Careful On Closure Of 43 Nairobi Clubs- Trevor Ombija

Citizen TV prime-time news anchor, Trevor Ombija, has given his opinion on the looming closure of 43 clubs and entertainment joints in Nairobi, despite the mixed reactions it has elicited on social media.

Kileleshwa Member of the County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai, who was the first to complain about the bars and clubs in the area causing noise pollution, shared a video of Ombija speaking during a forum on Wednesday morning, October 12, criticising his call for landlords to soundproof their houses.

According to the Monday Report show host, the county government should pay close attention to the complaints raised, saying that clubs should not be closed over a few complaints from residents living in the environs surrounding them.

He noted that the sentiments from more than half of the residents should be enough for action to be taken and not just a few of them.

“When there is a complaint against a bar owner or a restaurant, let us have more than half of the people complaining. If the apartments are twenty, fifteen of them should show us their list, signed, and tell us this is the problem,” he said.

Alai was unhappy with his recommendation as it is emerging that Ombija is the owner of Samaki Samaki club in Dagoretti North, one of the clubs that were earmarked for closure.

"If you want to see the madness in the entertainment industry in this country, see this. The owner of a noisy entertainment joint in Kileleshwa offering to soundproof homes. 

"Do we still have people with brains around? We show you a lease? Sit down fool!" Alai reacted.

“Trevor Ombija, if you are the noisemaker, you shut your mouth. You don’t offer to seal our ears. Noise pollution must be contained,” former Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi weighed in.

Defending his sentiments, Ombija revealed that he had a neighbour who wanted his entertainment joint to be closed down because he did not give her a landscaping job.

He added that the premises reduced the volume to the satisfaction of the residents, except her. He offered her an alternative to soundproof the joint but she refused.

"In your list, there is a Christian guest house that does not even have a liquor licence. There are genuine complaints which must be addressed but there are also malicious accusations that must be called out. One person's word can not be used for blanket condemnation.

"Yesterday there were great steps made between the bar owners and residents' associations on how to address the issues, your accusation is devoid of context because you were not there and that's okay, I am only interested in dealing with the issues, not verbal abuse," Ombija answered Alai.

Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) chairperson Richard Ngatia on Monday, October 3 moved to spare the clubs from closure, which included three popular ones along Thika Road. He disclosed that he bagged a deal with Nairobi City County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licencing Board to temporarily stop the directive from taking effect, which would have triggered a crisis in the entertainment sector.

During the dialogue period, the businessman advised the entertainment joints to follow the stipulated guidelines regarding noise pollution in residential areas to the latter.

He also directed business owners to ensure their patrons and customers do not cause traffic disruption and aggravate the standoff with the residents.

Director of Liquor Licensing Hesbon Agwena earmarked the long list of city clubs in a letter to county technical teams including security, health officials and the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA).