Criminal summons issued against Raga Dee's Big Mikes bar

Mar 21, 2019

The club reopened briefly before Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials descended on it and placed seals on the main entrance, stores and offices of the bar.

PIC: Ragga Dee's Big Mikes has been closed for a month (File Photo)
 
KAMPALA- In a new twist of events criminal summons against noise pollution has been issued against Ragga Dee of Big Mikes Bar and Restaurant.
 
The bar recently breathed a short sigh of relief after the High Court dismissed a case against the club for noise pollution.
 
The club reopened briefly before Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials descended on it and placed seals on the main entrance, stores and offices of the bar. Ragga Dee might land in jail for practising his trade of music.
 
The staff at the club have remained jobless over the last four weeks following running battles with High Court and KCCA.
 
A team of kick boxers were planning to use the premises for training but they have been locked out.
 
The kick boxers have written to Ragga Dee to resolve the issue as they need to train ahead of a kick boxing event.
 
Several bars close to Big Mikes have remained open.  Questions are being raised whether recent major property and high rise apartment owners in the area want to strangle the old timers and youth club.
 
Security staff at the bar have complained of KCCA bouncers raiding the bar at night peeling off number plates of vehicles of customers parked along pavements. They said the practice has hurt the business as customers fear to lose their number plates. The bouncers reportedly demand for sh300,000 in return for the number plates when the owners seek for them.
 
Daniel Kazibwe alias Ragga Dee is now wanted in court for allegedly emitting noise beyond permissible levels in his Kololo based Big Mikes bar.
 
Grade one magistrate Patrick Talisuna of City Hall Court issued criminal summoned against Ragga Dee to appear in court in person on March 15 together with the bar's manager a one Ritah Nancy.
 
Prosecution states that Kazibwe and Nancy on February 28, 2019, at Kololo Central division in Kampala did play music equipment emitting noise above the National permissible levels under the National environment noise standards and level regulations 2003.
 
Kazibwe is also summoned to answer charges of failure to comply with an improvement noise and breaking Kampala Capital City Authority's property seals. The club has reported loss of sales recorded over the long period of closure. They say KCCA put seals on access gates that lead to other parts of the building used as offices and stores where cleaning equipment is kept and personal belongings are kept.
 
On one raid a team from Kampala City Council Authority comprising of bouncers and armed Police stormed the club. The bouncers roughed up unarmed security guards manning the gates as they put seals on them.
 
"I was inquiring what they wanted and they started pulling up my trousers, pushing me aside, using a lot of force," said a disappointed and annoyed guard.
 
"Why were they harassing me like that?. Why do they treat people like that," asked the angry guard.
 
Ragga Dee is a Ugandan musician. He contested for mayor of Kampala in the 2016 general elections. 
 
He is recognised as one of the pioneers of contemporary Ugandan music famous in the mid 1990's for producing hits like Bamusakata and Mukwano while part of a group called Da Hommies, today, he is known for songs like Mpeta, Mbawe and Nugu. He has won the Pearl of Africa Music.
 
Patrons to the clubs in the area, due to inadequate parking space in the area often park on pavements at night. They avoid parking alongside the roads as they are guided by parking attendants, composed of youth looking for some wage at night.
 
Office space, night clubs, restaurants, malls have taken over Acacia Avenue, Kololo with residents crying foul over the change of the old residential status of the area.
 
Residents of the upscale area of Kololo in Kampala Central Division have been up in arms against the bars and their landlords over noise pollution in the area. The bars have said they invested heavily in sound proof equipment to prevent noise pollution.
 
The complainants among them owners, residents, occupiers of real property and dwelling houses on John Babiiha Avenue (Acacia Avenue), Acacia Road, Windsor Crescent and Someo Road in Kololo are against operation of bars in their locality.
 
The complaints argue that the businesses started five years ago as bars and night clubs that have played host to music concerts, loud public address systems, late night parties, engaged in and promoted music rehearsals for different musicians which feature electronically amplified guitars, organs, drums, flood lights, human voices, as well as excessive boisterous yelling, whistling, clapping and foot stomping noises.
 
The residents state that the bar operators have set up big size screens with music videos and floodlights reflecting in their properties which emit noise beyond the maximum permissible noise levels.
 
Clubs that operate in the area include Casablanca Pub Night Club and Restaurant, H2O Bar, Restaurant and Lounge, Bubbles O'Leary's, Atmosphere Bar and Lounge as well as Wave Lounge.
 
The residents recently sued KCCA and National Environmental Management Authority for allegedly failing to execute their mandate of ensuring compliance with the laws.
 
The bar proprietors admit carrying out businesses at their respective principal places in Kololo, an upscale Kampala suburb, but contend that their business locations are not adjacent to and or in the immediate neighborhood of the complainants' residences.
 
The bar operators contend that they enjoy a fundamental right to carry on trade and business in Uganda and that the suburb of Kololo has never been a restricted area for such trade and businesses.
 
 

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