KCC limits party hours

Kigali City Council (KCC) has put a ban on concerts and shows that will go beyond midnight during the festive season, according to a statement from the city’s communications office. Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Bruno Rangira, KCC Director for Communications, said a security meeting that sat on Thursday came up with the resolutions to ban music, church concerts, house parties and other social gatherings that will exceed midnight during Christmas time and New Year. “Due to the excitement during the festive season, people tend to indulge in drinking excessive alcohol which results into drunk driving, fights, noise pollution and other crimes associated with Christmas and New Year periods,” reads part of the statement. Rangira added that people who are organizing parties during the season should make sure that they end before midnight. “Nightclubs and the usual happening places are not affected by the ban because they do have safety and security measures that guide their business,” he noted. The same meeting also resolved that, no person below 21 years old will be allowed to take any alcohol or enter night clubs. Bar owners and night clubs before serving alcohol to young people, are obliged to ask for identification cards showing the date of birth. Theos Badge, Police Spokesperson, said that noise pollution due to loud music brought about by social gatherings during the festival season disturbs people’s peace. “There is enough safety and security for the people but we also call upon the organizers of concerts and parties that will be held in places with no sound proof to adhere to the ban,” he asserted. According to Joseph Mushyoma, the Managing Director East African Promoters, the ban does not favour him at all because he already made contracts with singers who were supposed to perform at the East African party slated for 31 December 2011. “I don’t support the idea; it’s very difficult for us due to the fact that many people will attend the event after midnight. We have erected billboards showing the venue and time so it will not be easy to change them in this short period of time,” he said. Mushyoma stated that he is going to talk to city council authorities so that they can be lenient with him, and if they refuse, he will devise other means. By press time efforts to reach the organisers of the annual Happy People event for a comment were futile as they could not answer our repeated calls. frank.kanyesigye@newtimes.co.rw

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KCC limits party hours