The Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has remanded two pastors for noise pollution. The duo is Pastor Edward Mukisa and Herman Ssebunje from Nkumba Miracle Centre in Bendegere village in Katabi Town Council in Wakiso district.
The pastors appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Tuesday on charges of noise pollution and pleaded not guilty, according to a June 29th, 2022 statement from National Environmental Management Authority-NEMA.
NEMA explains that the duo was arrested on Friday last week in the ongoing operation against noise in the country triggered by numerous public complaints.
The pastors were charged with "failure to undertake an environmental and social impact assessment, engaging in activities that result in or aggravate pollution, discharging and emitting pollutants into the environment, failure to implement regulatory measures, orders, notices and environmental easements as required by the National Environment Act, 2019."
Adding that, "the law requires establishments such as places of worship, recreational and production activities either submit project briefs or undertake environmental and social impact assessment to enable relevant authorities to guide their operations....to ensure that aspects of the environment including noise, air, and water pollution are not compromised."
The pastors face a fine not exceeding fifty thousand currency points, the equivalent of Shillings one billion, or a maximum jail term of 15 years, or both.
NEMA's senior public relations officer, Tony Acidria, explains that the suspects were arrested for being notorious noise polluters. "They are repeat offenders because the noise levels when measured were above the permissible level of 60 decibels during the day and 40 decibels in the night for places of worship in residential areas."
The law defines daytime as running from 6 am to 10 pm and night hours as running from 10 pm to 6 am. The National Environmental (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations, 2003 defines noise pollution as "the release of uncontrolled noise that is likely to cause danger to human beings or damage to the environment."
Acidria says NEMA had severally warned the suspects to control the noise from their church in vain.