Nothing will ever keep you fully safe but adopting certain habits greatly minimizes exposure to potential harm. Kwanza now that the economy is tanking, and insecurity rises.
NB. This isn’t a call to fear or paranoia just good old sense and adjustment. Personal safety works in concentric circles with you at the centre working outwards. So;
1. When making large MPESA/ATM withdrawals do it in malls, away from high-traffic areas.
2. CBD mugging-muggers follow victims for at least 50-70 metres before pouncing. Be situationally alert/aware.
3. As much as possible minimize wearing pricey-looking watches and jewelry while on errands, especially in the CBD.
4. Be extra careful when using ATM machines. Make sure nobody is hovering nearby and don’t count your money in public.
5. If you’re being followed, enter the nearest shop, hotel, supermarket, or public building. Walk around & stay inside for at least 10min.
6. Make sure you have good door locks for your house. It’s the last defense for your valuables.
7. Maybe it is time to install an extra bulb at that gate or that dark patch behind your house you’ve been ignoring.
8. Carry out a basic audit of your home or apartment. What are the vulnerable places around it?
9. Posting on social media: as much as possible, post your hangout bar/hotel at least an hour after you’ve left.
10. Letting people know. Let at least one person know your itinerary or where you’ll be for the day if your work involves moving around a lot.
11. Geotagging on your photos. Learn to switch off geotags on your photos, otherwise, you’ll give away crucial info.
12. Taking Cabs. Stick to apps, and pay while on the last stretch home. Stopping for long at the gate trying to look for coins makes you vulnerable.
13. Tell the driver/rider to stick around for a minute if the gate is taking too long to open.
14. Phone security. Put passwords on the phone and crucial apps so pickpockets don’t text your family, and friends begging for cash.
15. Insurance. Pay insurance for your valuables, phones, TVs, laptops, and jewelry. It costs a little.
16. Manage your drink. Never overdrink kwanza when you are among strangers. Beba excess go binge at home.
17. If cornered avoid confrontation. Your personal safety is more important than valuables. Don’t risk personal injury trying to defend gadgets.
18. For lost gadgets get a police abstract. Such that if they are used in crime later, you’ll be on the safe side.
19. For those who overshare, be careful with photos of inside your house, car plates, and other telling info.
20. When contacting services providers on Facebook or Twitter avoid those, ‘Hey Zuku/KPLC/Safcom, ‘why don’t I have ABCD at XYZ apartment in Ruaka town?’ kind of direct tweets. DM them.
21. Have contacts of at least one waiter/ess at your local, one neighbor, one nduthi guy, a shopkeeper, caretaker.
22. Get house cams, and motion lights. They go quite cheap huko Kirinyaga Road.
23. Consider carrying personal protection (firearm, pepper spray, …whatever works for you).
24. Careful with inviting strangers to your table at clubs. You run the risk of getting drugged.
25. Have MPESA instead of ATM, mobile banking linked to your primary account is a big risk. Put a cap on possible transactions.