City bar ignores judge’s order on noise pollution
On February 19, 2026, Justice Bonny Isaac Teko allowed the bar to operate but gave it six months within which it should maintain NEMA directives of ensuring permissible noise levels and installing soundproof materials. However, two weeks to the end of the six-month grace period given by Justice Teko (scheduled to end on August 18), NEMA inspectors last weekend found that Aurous bar had ignored the judge’s directives.
According to the NEMA report compiled at 1:04am on August 1, 2026, Aurous bar was found emitting noise levels of 67.3 decibels. “How can someone be above the law? This is sheer impunity,” one of the Kololo residents said.
KAMPALA - Six months after court directed Aurous Restaurant and Fine Dining bar to stop emitting noise above permissible levels and install soundproof materials, the city bar has ignored the directive.
This was after the latest inspection over the weekend by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) officials at Aurous bar on Plot 11 Roscoe Road found that it was still emitting noise above the permitted levels.
On February 19, 2026, Justice Bonny Isaac Teko allowed the bar to operate but gave it six months within which it should maintain NEMA directives of ensuring permissible noise levels and installing soundproof materials.
However, two weeks to the end of the six-month grace period given by Justice Teko (scheduled to end on August 18), NEMA inspectors last weekend found that Aurous bar had ignored the judge’s directives.
According to the NEMA report compiled at 1:04am on August 1, 2026, Aurous bar was found emitting noise levels of 67.3 decibels. “How can someone be above the law? This is sheer impunity,” one of the Kololo residents said.
Justice Teko’s directive followed a petition from residents of Kololo, who complained against noise pollution from the bar.
The law
The National Environment (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations, 2003 (under sections 28 and 107 of the National Environment Act Cap 153), clearly spell out the permissible noise levels by entertainment places.
For places or establishments of entertainment in residential areas, the permissible noise levels are 60 decibels during the day (6:00 am to 10:00 pm) and 40 decibels at night (10:00 pm to 6:00 am).
The generally accepted noise levels in residential buildings are 50 decibels during day and 35 decibels at night, while in mixed residential (with some commercial and entertainment), the day noise limits are 55 decibels and night limits stand at 35 decibels.
Section 17(1) of the regulations states: “An environmental inspector, the executive director, or a member of a local council may seize, impound, or confiscate any property, tool, machinery, or other instrument, which is likely to cause or has caused the emission of noise if, in his or her opinion, the confiscation would cause tranquillity in the area.”
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Order stopping action on bar
The development comes at a time when court has issued an order staying an injunction stopping city authorities from taking action against a bar located in the city suburbs of Kololo.
The injunction signed by High Court Civil Division Registrar Simon Kintu Zirintusa was secured by the owners of Aurous Bar against Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and NEMA.
This was after Kololo residents repeatedly petitioned KCCA and NEMA over noise pollution by Aurous Bar, prompting KCCA to write to the bar owners asking them to soundproof the bar or risk closure and confiscation of their equipment over noise pollution.
However, New Vision has learnt that instead of complying with the NEMA and KCCA requirements to contain noise, the Aurous Bar management went to court and secured an injunction stopping the two entities from closing their business and confiscating their equipment.
The injunction, which was first issued on August 15, 2025, and is still in force to date, restrains KCCA, NEMA and their agents "from closing, interfering with the applicant’s business, and from confiscating its tools of trade until the hearing and final determination of the main suit.”
The injunction followed a letter from KCCA executive director Sharifah Buzeki in which she revealed that besides emitting noise, Aurous bar was also operating without a development permit.
“Following routine inspections and neighbourly complaints received regarding noise nuisance resulting from your operations, an enforcement notice was issued to you on November 14, 2024, requiring you to, among other things, halt operations, remove all temporary structures, and obtain change of use,” Buzeki wrote on May 21, 2025.
It emerged that the building in which Aurous Bar is operating has a residential permit and not a commercial permit.
Documents show that the National Planning Authority last year advised KCCA to ensure that the proprietors apply for change of use as required under the law – from residential to commercial permit.
As a result, KCCA gave the building owner and proprietors of Aurous Bar 14 days to comply. KCCA also asked them to remove the illegal structures erected or have them removed by the council at their cost.
The letter was sent to the owner of Aurous Bar (Martin Kasenge) and also copied to Zhang Zhengguo, the proprietor of the building that houses the bar.
In response, however, the bar management went to court and secured an order stopping KCCA and NEMA from interfering with their business.
This has incensed residents, who now have to bear with the noise from the bar until the matter is resolved by court.