For quite a while now, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has on several occasions decried noise pollution generated by worshippers near his Nakasero State House in Kampala.
Museveni wondered whether God is deaf that Pentecostal church goers had to shout loud on their voices seeking his deliverance.
In fact Museveni had some time back ordered the arrest of a police officer in charge of Bulenga police post in Wakiso District after the assassination of ASP Muhammad Kirimira.
The OC was only saved by the worshippers she narrated to the President how the church in the vicinity makes noise which becomes difficult to detect an alarm.
The President concurred citing the same situation near his residence in Nakasero.
As a result the legislators have since introduced a bill which seeks to regulate worshippers’ noise at night.
The content of this bill is to revoke the National Environment Act Act Cap. 153 and have the law that that collaborates with traditional laws and policies.
Accordingly, the law is to solidify the roles of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) as the controller of whoever infringes on the peoples’ rights and breaches the regulations.
The bill which MPs debated on Wednesday will continue internalising it on Thursday.
Ibanda South MP who doubles as Karamoja Minister Eng. John Byabagambi told the Hansard that believers who shout at night while praising God should be reigned on as they are considered environment polluters.
His submission drew ire among born-again lawmakers who called him to order.
“Prayer is not the problem but shouting is the issue. The focus is on noise and any form of noise that disturbs the peace,” Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah called the House to order.
Clause 105 of the National Environment Bill, 2015 provides for standards for the control of effects of vibration and pollution caused by noise. The committee is proposing taking measurement of the levels of noise emanating from all sources.The National Environment Bill, 2017 in clause 105 also seeks to prescribe minimum standards for noise and vibration; and issue guidelines for the abatement of unreasonable noise and vibration from any source.
