New laws in Nairobi

Today I read in the Nairobi newspaper about a few new laws coming into effect in the city. They include bans against blowing one’s nose in public without a tissue or handkerchief, talking on a mobile phone while crossing the street, and “making noise”. Violation of these acts results in a penalty of Ksh 2000 (the equivalent of about $25) and/ or 3 months in jail. I have some thoughts to express regarding the need for and implementation of such laws.
Firstly, a city like Nairobi has much bigger things to worry about than public mobile talkers and nose blowers. The article cites “cleaning up Nairobi” as one major reason for the advent of the new laws. It seems to me cleaning up the massive heaps of garbage lining the ditches or perhaps reprimanding reckless drivers or petty criminals would accomplish this goal much, much more efficiently. Harsher penalties against people who litter would prevent the city from getting so dirty in the first place, against those who steal would make it safer. I don’t feel either of those goals are achieved by cracking down on people who have runny noses.
Secondly, “making noise” is how half the people on the streets of Nairobi make a living. They call out to passerby, encouraging them to buy their product or board their matatu. Now, as a pedestrian in the city, I don’t especially enjoy being hassled like this, but I do respect that these people need to make a living and to do so, they need to yell. Furthermore, “making noise” is subject to opinion. It’s difficult to draw the line between one street vendor who is yelling at an acceptable level and another who is simple belligerent.
Finally, with a police force as corrupt as that of Nairobi, this will simple turn into another source of income for officers. If a policeman sees you walking across a street while talking on your mobile phone, he’ll just charge you a few hundred shillings on the spot. The perpetrator will of course prefer this to the declared fine or jail time, but it leave a lot of room for expanding rather than reigning in police corruption.