Kenya’s Houses Of Worship Under Scrutiny for ‘Disruptive’ Sound Levels
NAIROBI, Kenya — Worship centers in Kenya are increasingly facing scrutiny for conducting activities at noise levels that exceed acceptable limits.
Concerns have been raised in various parts of the country about religious services blatantly violating existing regulations, disturbing the peace and quiet of neighborhoods.
From the lively beats of praise and worship music accompanied by animated sermons blaring through powerful loudspeakers in churches, to the solemn chants of the muezzin echoing through the dawn air, the sounds of worship are prevalent across towns and villages in the country.
The law is clear about what constitutes acceptable noise levels. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) specifies the decibel limits allowed in various regulated zones, including town centers and residential areas. The Authority also establishes separate decibel limits for day and night.
For places of worship, NEMA sets Sound Level Limits of 40 dBA — something like a light drizzle — during the day and 35 dBA at night, akin to the inside of a library.
However, churches have clearly ignored these regulations. They are bold and unapologetic in their efforts to spread the gospel, sometimes responding to backlash with defiant exhortations. Alongside pubs and entertainment venues that have illegally sprung up in residential neighborhoods, churches — particularly Pentecostal ones — have created a disruptive "symphony" that blatantly signals disregard for the law and the desire for peace.
In a country where the majority of people identify as religious, these activities have been tolerated to some extent, particularly by those who prefer to avoid confronting matters of worship. Some have even defended the religious organizations criticized for the noise, calling these criticisms an attack on evangelism.
Questions have also been raised about the authorities' silence in failing to enforce the laws governing loud church services, despite the clear limitations set by the law.
Kenya's worship center stands as a hub of faith and community gatherings.
The preachers confidently screech their sermons with a firm sense of protection by state agents who are fully aware of these breaches. Some politicians have also come to the defense of the churches.
In December 2022, Nairobi Gov. Johnson Sakaja addressed the issue of noisy churches in the city, making a sober call for restraint and dialogue in response to complaints from city residents.
In a swift rebuttal, Kalonzo Musyoka, a former vice president, sanctimoniously criticized Sakaja for raising the issue, claiming that any attempt to rein in the noisy churches would violate the freedoms of worship and association.
Emboldened by the apparent political protection, the churches have defiantly continued their ear-splitting practices and even ignored orders to reduce the noise. In one glaring example of impunity, Nairobi County Chief Officer of Environment Geoffrey Mosiria had sent a warning to a city church following complaints from residents about the loudness of the music during a night service. Mosiria stated that a decibel meter had revealed that the church service exceeded acceptable noise limits.
Despite the directive, the church resumed its service just a few hours later.
For many frustrated residents, these noises are a rude intrusion into their lives, particularly when they occur at ungodly hours. They cite sleep deprivation, among other issues, and demand that the churches be removed from their neighborhoods.
In one of the more prominent cases, a disgruntled residents' association from Mirema, a neighborhood in Nairobi, took an offending church to court.
“The complaint [against the church] is that on Sunday and Friday nights, they use a sound system to preach and administer songs, which resonate through the neighborhood at deafening levels,” the judgment read. “[The petitioner] describes the noise levels as unpleasant and obnoxious. The noise emanating from the Respondents has interfered with learning at the schools situated in the estate.”
A judge eventually ruled in favor of the residents, issuing a permanent injunction to restrain the church from “emitting noise beyond its precincts that interferes with residents’ quiet use and enjoyment of their properties and their right to live in a clean and healthy environment.”
Mosques have also been criticized for their calls to prayer, especially in the early morning hours. There have been cases where residents' associations have raised concerns about these early calls, which are typically broadcast through loudspeakers attached to mosque minarets. In 2024, residents of Kisauni in the coastal city of Mombasa wrote to city authorities complaining about the “noise pollution” caused by a local mosque. The residents stated that an imam would begin preaching at 4:20 a.m. using a loud public address system, with the sound reaching neighborhoods hundreds of meters away.
Again, there have been criticisms against those who challenge the practice, with some people arguing that the Muslim call to prayer must always be proclaimed loudly. In 2020, NEMA banned the Parklands and City Park mosques in the capital from broadcasting the call to prayer after residents complained about the noise.
“This will never work,” Paul Owino, reacting to the news, said. “The adhan must be made in a loud voice. How can you call people to prayer while whispering?”
Joseph Maina is a Kenyan journalist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Nairobi. For the past decade, he has served as a correspondent for various print and digital publications in his native Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa.