Membley Residents Protest as Loud Music From Bars Disturbs Homes
Residents of Membley Estate in Ruiru have intensified complaints against two entertainment venues they say are operating at excessive noise levels, disrupting life in the neighbourhood and prompting renewed calls for official intervention.
The dispute centres on Outvest Address Bar and The Plant House Bar and Restaurant, both situated along the Eastern Bypass in Gitothua Ward, Kiambu County. Residents report that the venues play loud music late into the night, with sound carrying up to half a kilometre.
They argue that the noise exceeds limits set under the Environmental Management and Coordination (Noise and Excessive Vibration Pollution Control) Regulations, 2009, which restrict sound in residential areas to 50 decibels during the day and 35 decibels at night. The Membley Daykio Residents Association has led efforts to secure enforcement action.
Since June 2025, it has written to the Kiambu County Assembly and copied correspondence to Governor Kimani Wamatangi, requesting inspection of the venues and verification of their operating licences. Although the letters were acknowledged, residents say no substantive response followed.
In September, the association referred the matter to the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), submitting photographs to show the proximity of the premises to nearby homes. Residents state that no concrete action has been taken. Nema Director General Mamo Boru Mamo has indicated that enforcement of noise regulations is largely a devolved responsibility, adding that the authority will liaise with Kiambu County officials to address the complaints.
Kiambu County Executive for Environment David Kuria said he had not seen the residents’ letters until they were shared by the media, but undertook to review the case. Residents maintain that enforcement failures have allowed some operators to avoid compliance, alleging that regulatory oversight has been inconsistent.
In 2024, Justice Addraya Dena ruled that possession of a business licence does not exempt an operator from liability if permitted noise levels are exceeded. The judgment affirmed that commercial activity must not infringe on the constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment.
Membley Estate has previously challenged developments it considered harmful. In 2024, residents successfully opposed the construction of an asphalt and concrete plant by Strabag International, citing environmental and health concerns.
