Residents of the Waterfront Gardens in Loresho, Nairobi are up in arms over noise pollution from a hotel operating within the gated community. Angry residents blocked the entrance to the hotel on Saturday night and say no action has been taken against the hotel despite their complaints.
Instead, officers from the anti-terror police unit were called by the hotel management to intervene, an incident that the Ministry of Interior says is under investigations.
At around 11 p.m. on Saturday night outside Qaribu Inn Hotel in Loresho, officers from the Anti-Terror Police Unit were captured removing number plates from vehicles blocking the entrance to the hotel.
At the hotel’s gate, stranded revellers are heard complaining as they are unable to move out of the premises. On the other side residents of The Waterfront Gardens who had blocked the entrance of the hotel can be seen arguing with the officers who were preventing them from recording the unfolding events.
The standoff continued for about two hours before residents who had blocked the hotel entrance removed their vehicles.
The main reason for parking the vehicles at the entrance was to protest loud music and noise from the premises, especially on weekends.
“Their music goes on till 12, 1, 2 in the night I think it is unfair it said that your freedom ends where mine begins and so they need to be in a place where they are able to respect,” Kairo Kiarie, a resident told Citizen TV.
“When they are playing their loud music I have a hearing condition, I have to close all my windows, all my doors and sit in the sitting room to reduce the noise,” another resident, Milka Mwandawiro said.
The residents showed Citizen TV a letter of complaint written to the management back in August and copied to OCPD Spring Valley Police Station, Deputy County Commissioner, Westlands, NEMA, County Government and NACADA.
They say despite their efforts to seek intervention from the authorities nothing has changed. Their main concern is the garden area adjacent to the houses where people hire the ground for parties.
“People don’t sleep you have to see people driving out to try and go find places to sleep because the owner is not gonna listen to people, you call the NEMA they don’t show up, we have tried everywhere I don’t know what connections because it is never resolved,” Mwandawiro.
The residents who have raised concerns over deployment of ATPU officers in a noise disturbance case say the officers took away number plates removed from the four vehicles which had blocked the hotel entrance.
Interior Principal Raymond Omollo who inspected preparations ahead of Jamhuri Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens says the issue is under investigation.
“The issue at the Waterfront I think I would not want to comment on it at this point in time but we will be able to provide the details that you need for purpose of information,” he said.
By Citizen Digital