City Hall targets noise generated from events to raise revenue as liquor traders win
National
By
Pkemoi Ngénoh
| Aug 27, 2026
Nairobi residents, event organizers, churches and entertainment businesses will now have to pay for mandatory noise permits under the Nairobi City County Finance Act 2026.
Some targeted events include weddings, churches, mosques and entertainment joints as City Hall expands revenue sources.
According to the Act, couples holding weddings in residential areas will pay Sh20,000 per event for a noise permit while those holding weddings in gardens will pay Sh10,000 per event.
Churches and mosques will be required to obtain an annual Noise Emission Control Permit at a cost of Sh5,000.
Short-term night events will attract a fee of Ksh100,000 while clubs will be required to pay annual fees based on their capacity, with charges ranging from Sh000 to Ksh100,000.
Roadshows will be charged depending on the vehicle being used. A saloon car will attract Sh10,000, a minivan Sh30,000, while a 24-wheel truck or canter will attract Sh50,000.
The county has also introduced a Sh20,000 permit for construction activities involving excavation, demolition, drilling and other specified noisy works.
According to the Act that was gazzetted on August 2, 2026, non-compliance can attract a penalty equivalent to three times the applicable license fee.
This means an organizer or establishment that fails to obtain a Sh100,000 permit for instance could face a penalty of up to three times the amount.
However, the new fees schedule seems to have favoured liquor traders with huge discounts on licenses to run the business compared to the past years.
To start a liquor business with up to 30 seats, one will now pay Sh25,000 for an annual license up from Sh100,000 but such traders will only be allowed to operate between 5pm and 11pm during weekdays and from 2pm to 11pm during weekends and public holidays.
Traders in this category will not be allowed to sell foodstuffs to customers.
For medium bars accommodating from 31 to 100 customer’s traders will part with Sh100,000 for annual license down from Sh35,000 with operation hours ranging between 5pm to 11pm.
Those applying for a license for a small bar and restaurant with up to 30 seats will part with Sh50,000 annual fee to operate the trade.
Under the Finance Act, local commercial filming will attract Sh8,000 per shooting, while external commercial filming will cost Sh50,000, with music video production attracting Sh10,000.
Religious or private filming will also attract a Sh8,000 fee per shooting, while content creators operating permanent studios will be required to pay an annual Sh40,000 charge.
Initially, the new charges attracted uproar forcing governor Johnson Sakaja to clarify that his intention was to regulate organised commercial filming rather than ordinary social media content creation.
“These charges were never intended to target ordinary content creators, influencers or young people creating digital content. Our intention is to regulate professional and commercial film productions that require significant use of public spaces and infrastructure,” the governor said.