News
Blow your nose and kiss goodbye to Sh2,000
City Council askaris arrest a man who was allegedly found sitting on a flower pot near Kencom bus terminus in Nairobi on Thursday. The council has published new by-laws, which ban spitting in the streets or blowing noses. Photos/SAMMY KIMATU
Posted Thursday, October 1 2009 at 22:00
In Summary
- Hawkers and touts will also be arrested for shouting to attract customers
It is now illegal to blow your nose in the city of Nairobi and you could go to jail for it. If they don’t get you for blowing your nose, they will get you for spitting on one of the city’s many rubbish heaps and rivers of sewage.
And if they don’t catch you on any of that, you will certainly find yourself behind bars for crossing the road while talking on the phone.
In a raft of new by-laws, the City Council has also criminalised making noise.
The by-laws are contained in a brochure issued on Thursday. Those found spitting will be jailed for three months or pay a fine of Sh2,000, or both.
The same sentence will be imposed on those arrested for blowing their noses without using a handkerchief or tissue.
Making noise
According to the City Inspectorate Department, making noise of any kind in the City will result in arrest.
Council spokesman Wilfred Marube said the new by-laws will guide residents who according to him were not aware that such rules exist.
“We have to make the city more habitable,” he said, adding: “Most people through poor ethics have made this place (Nairobi) look bad.”
He did not say whether proper planning of the city, cleaning up the garbage and sewage, managing traffic and clearing slums would not have been more sustainable solutions.
Motorists will not be charged parking fees on weekends and public holidays, with the exception of Saturday, when the charges will be levied up to 2pm.
Speaking while releasing the by-laws on Thursday, Mr Marube said most residents ignored city regulations and this has forced city fathers to impose stiff penalties.
Four major by-laws were announced which include parking, solid waste management, Fire Brigade and general nuisance. The latter was said to be the most violated.
“General nuisance is really affecting the operations of the City Council,” he said.
Hawkers and touts, who make noise for a living, thought the new rules are a nuisance.
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Submitted by lwamariuPosted October 04, 2009 01:32 PM
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Submitted by masiflex
cuddos for the new by- laws its about time some manners are practised in our towns, but please watch out so that this wont be another method for city askaris to colect bribes,
Posted October 04, 2009 10:19 AM -
Submitted by josiahonsomu
What a heck is this,blowing the nose is a call of nature,u cant stop it but then people need to be taught hygiene.with the dust on our roads and all kinds of pollutions many will always contact running noses,we need to address the cause of anything before you can decide on type of laws you make.Kenyas are exploited by the few rich individuals.
Posted October 04, 2009 08:19 AM -
Submitted by unindex
Finally, by-laws are being implemented to bring glory back to the city. Social ethics that we all learnt in school, people seem to have rubbished it and instead rubbishing the city...wake up call. Cleaning up the city starts with u. Let's help shape it while at the same time urging our city godfathers to improve their image.
Posted October 04, 2009 02:17 AM -
Submitted by wuodmin74
The problem is not a lack of bylaws old or new. The problem is lack of implementation.City hall is full of some of the best kinds of bylaws in the world gathering dust in the shelves all these years anyway.This excitement from City hall will die soon leaving Nairobians at the mercy of askaris to milk them dry daily through bribery.There should also be a bylaw on how those askaris arrest people without tramping on our dignity.the askaris behave like animals.
Posted October 04, 2009 01:28 AM
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We do not need new laws, but the zealous implementation of existing ones. The Kenya askaris still have the colonialist mentality. The man could have been issued with a court summon or a ticket (fine) or arrested modestly. On the contrary he is being man handled publicly. If corruption is rooted out and security improved, Kenya would be a great nation. WATCH THIS!!!! - If the poor fellow was treated in such a manner for sitting on a pot; what should happen to Anglo leasing and post election perpetrators????