Individuals found urinating, spitting, or blowing their nose without a handkerchief in public within Nairobi County will be fined between Sh10,000 and Sh500,000.
This follows the signing into law of the Nairobi City County Public Nuisance Bill, 2021. The Bill was fronted by Riruta MCA James Kiriba and assented by Acting Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu.
The new rules and regulations are aimed at keeping Nairobi clean and hygienic, with violators also risking imprisonment of between six to 12 months.
Other misdemeanors include sleeping in kitchens or food stores, defecating in the open, lighting fires without authorization from the County Secretary, riding motorcycles or driving on footpaths, playing loud music, and smoking in undesignated places.
The law also prohibits washing, repairing, or dismantling any vehicle except in the case of an emergency, within the Nairobi CBD.
It also seeks to penalize the discharge of dirty water, sewer or effluent into streets or water channels, discharge of oils into roads or water channels, and obstruction of roads or streets.
Nairobi residents are also prohibited from allowing trees and hedges in their homes or places of work to obstruct streets or footpaths.
Kananu urged Nairobi residents to familiarize themselves with the new law.
“Nairobi is the face of Kenya. We all need a clean and hygienic environment to live and work in,” she said.
“The objective of this Law is to provide for the control of public nuisance and empower the county to take all lawful necessary and reasonably practicable measures for the maintenance of the county at all times in a clean and sanitary condition,” Kananu added.
