Karen residents demand closure of Betty Kyallo's restaurant over noise polution

The residents claim the noise was causing inconvenience and discomfort to people living within the vicinity.

• The residents had earlier lodged a complaint about The Summer House development with the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services.

Karen residents want Betty Kyallo's new hotel, Summer House closed.
Karen residents want Betty Kyallo's new hotel, Summer House closed.
Image: COURTESY

Karen and Lang'ata residents have expressed their displeasure with the operations of a newly launched restaurant called The Summer House in Karen, Nairobi.

The Summer House is owned by Media personality Betty Kyallo restaurant.

In a letter dated November 25 and addressed to Nairobi County, Karen and Lang'ata Residents District Association said the facility has caused unprecedented noise pollution by allegedly playing loud music at night.

The residents claim the noise was causing inconvenience and discomfort to people living within the vicinity.

"We demand that the Nairobi City County Government immediately closes the facility and withdraw any approvals or licenses issued to The Summer House," read part of the letter.

They also said that The Summer House, which opened its doors to the public two months ago, allegedly did not follow the prerequisite process when seeking to develop the property as is required by law.

"There was no change of user from residential to commercial permission sought from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) or Nairobi County Government to our knowledge. 

There was no public participation exercise conducted to give residents an opportunity to vent their views about the planned development."they claimed.

They also alleged that there was no public announcement in any daily newspaper that was made notifying them of The Summer House development.

"The Summer House opened its doors without having procured the necessary approvals including conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment audit (EIA)," they claimed in the letter.

They said they had earlier lodged a complaint about The Summer House development with the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services.

"An enforcement notice stopping the development was issued on August 4, 2021, followed by a reminder on September 1, 2021, which The Summer House developers defied," they said.

"The establishment has adversely affected the aesthetic value ideal for the area as per the residential zoning policy and its operations cannot by any standards comply with the legal requirements for a purely residential zoned area."

The residents also raised the issue of noise pollution which Governor Johnson Sakaja's administration has vowed to deal with in City estates.

The Launch of The Summer House by Betty Kyallo
Image: DENNIS MILIMO

"We are cognizant of the fact that vide Gazette Notice Number 177 of 2013, Noise Pollution is a devolved function of the County Government and as such it falls within your purview to license and prosecute noise pollution offenders," they said.

The association now wants the Nairobi City County Government to close the facility within seven days.

"The facility must be closed within seven days from today as our members who reside next to the facility have been affected by the operations of the said facility."

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