Rising cases of house break-ins across residential estates are pushing tenants to adopt unconventional methods to protect their homes. In some cases, these personal security measures are creating tension within communities, especially where fear and suspicion are already high.
A high school teacher, Kefrine Keffy, has recounted how she resorted to a dramatic warning tactic after her house was broken into twice within a span of days.
Keffy said the first incident happened when she left her house at around 8:00 a.m. and returned at about 3:00 p.m., only to find her door broken and her belongings scattered across the floor. Her music system had been stolen.
“I immediately called my neighbours and rushed to my bedroom,” she said. “I had kept around KSh 35,000 in the zipper of my suitcase. I thought everything was gone.”
To her surprise, the money was still intact.
“I screamed in relief in front of everyone,” she said. “I kept saying how lucky I was that the money hadn’t been stolen.”
She replaced the padlocks and tried to move on, but the situation escalated days later.
“Three days later, someone tried to break into my house again,” she said. “That is when I knew this was not random.”
Keffy said the second attempt raised suspicion that the attackers could have been familiar with her movements or belongings.
“It felt like an inside job,” she said. “Whoever was doing it seemed to know exactly what they were looking for.”
Frustrated and fearful, she decided to send a strong warning.
“I bought a red cloth and tied it on my door,” she said. “Later, I smeared tomato paste on the door and said, ‘Whoever touches my door again will face it.’”
However, her actions alarmed neighbours, some of whom interpreted the markings differently.
“The next day, my landlord summoned me,” she said. “I was told that some neighbours were saying I was practising witchcraft because of what they saw on my door.”
She was issued with a notice to vacate the house.
“I was shocked because I was the victim,” she said. “I had just been trying to protect myself.”
Keffy said she explained the full situation to her landlord, including the break-in, the stolen items, and her fears.
“I told him everything that had happened and why I did what I did,” she said. “After listening to me, he understood.”
The landlord later withdrew the eviction notice, allowing her to stay.
“I just wanted to feel safe in my own house,” she said. “I did not expect it to turn into something else.”