The battle for silence in Nairobi’s crowded streets has found a new champion. Geoffrey Mosiria, the county’s Chief Officer for Environment, has urged matatu operators in the Central Business District (CBD) to tone down their noise.
After walking through the CBD on Tuesday, Mr Mosiria said he was not out to arrest anyone, but to restore calm to the city centre.
“I call upon all matatu operators to be mindful of their neighbours in the CBD as they conduct their business,” he said in a statement. “Our goal is not to arrest you but to encourage self-regulation. However, those who refuse to comply will face enforcement action in line with the law.”
At the heart of his warning is a growing frustration from office owners, colleges, and small businesses, who say the shouting of touts and blaring of music from matatus has turned parts of the CBD into a daily assault on the ears.
Kenya’s Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) and the accompanying Noise and Excessive Vibration Regulations make it a crime to create unnecessary disturbances that threaten public comfort, health, or safety. Mr Mosiria said these laws would guide any enforcement.
This is not the first time he has raised the issue. In an earlier interview, he explained that matatus entering the CBD would soon be required to mute their music. Loud music, he said, should only be played once vehicles have left the city centre.
“We have businesses, colleges and such,” Mr Mosiria explained. “You can play your music as you leave the CBD.”
He also revealed that matatu touts — known locally as kamageras — would no longer be allowed to shout to attract passengers. Instead, they may have to hold placards showing routes and fares, sparing city workers and students the constant noise.
The noise clampdown comes a day after Mr Mosiria announced a cash reward for residents who report vandalism of newly installed dustbins in the CBD. Whistle-blowers can earn Ksh10,000 for exposing scrap dealers buying the bins, or Ksh5,000 for reporting individuals caught stealing them.
Both moves signal a wider push by the county to bring back order and cleanliness to Nairobi’s streets — a mission that is as political as it is environmental.
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