Business owners in Rwanda, while speaking to the media, said the latest restrictions on the imposed curfew on all non-essentials are backward and bad for business.
This was after police in Rwanda ordered bars to close and confiscate equipment from the bars and entertainment places.
Last month, the government issued noise pollution guidelines, limiting sound levels in commercial areas to average quietness at night.
The government announced this on August 2, 2023: “For effective regulation of night-time entertainment and noise pollution, the Cabinet established closing time of non-essential services at 1 am on working days, and 2 am on weekends (Friday and Saturday), effective September 1, 2023.”
A move that has angered nightclub owners who say it will hurt their business, yet they have to feed their families.
Noise pollution has increasingly become an issue in big cities.
Noise pollution is an invisible danger and is considered to be any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms.
Noise pollution impacts millions of people on a daily basis. The most common health problem it causes is Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Exposure to loud noise can also cause high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disturbances, and stress. These health problems can affect all age groups, especially children who live near noisy airports or streets, who have been found to suffer from stress and other problems such as impairments in memory, attention level, and reading skill.
