Is your neighbourhood safe?

Kenya: Last year, Zakah, a popular entertainer was forced to change his address and move his family and studio equipment elsewhere.

Zakah, of the famed Wenyeji duo, was not sure his family was safe in Gachie.  The duo was at the centre of the hip hop renaissance of the mid-2000s. “There was always a case of robbery, car-jacking or even murder every few days,” says the artiste.

“Police also did impromptu raids to try to flush out criminals. Life is always tense in Gachie and for the safety of my young family and very expensive equipment, that was not a place to live in,” he says.

Today, Gachie has become safer. This is according to a crime survey released by the Security Research and Information Centre (SRIC) late last year.

Recent times had seen Gachie and neighbouring areas, previously known for harbouring hardcore criminals, welcome new modern developments as investors started feeling more comfortable there.

“Security, or the lack of it, is critical in real estate,” says Erick Cheruiyot, a property agent in Narok.

“Security will determine the kind of clients. Look around and you will notice nearly all the mega housing projects are either in safe zones or the security detail is high tech.”

“Security is a perception. People invest in areas that will make their property appreciate or in the case of tenants, feel safe,” says security expert Ken Williams Nyakomitah. “Something as simple as guards thoroughly checking every visitor at a residential estate is psychologically an impediment to crime,” he adds.

According to the SRIC survey, crime is more concentrated in the slum areas of Nairobi, a trend experienced in the whole country.

Bondeni, a slum in Nakuru, takes first position as the most unsafe, with organised criminal gangs reigning supreme.

The famous Mishomohoroni slum in Mombasa is second while Kibera comes third. Manyatta slum in Kisumu is the safest slum in the country.

“Everybody living in the slum has been either a crime victim or a witness since 98 per cent of people staying there have witnessed it (a crime),” said SRIC Programmes Coordinator, Leonard Kyalo Musoi while releasing the survey.

 Substandard buildings

“There are many sub-standard buildings in slums because investors cannot pour money into good buildings that will not be of value,” says Cheruiyot.

 

“For example, all the new people coming to Narok always ask for vacancies in any area other than Majengo, because the reputation of the place is quite bad. That’s how bad insecurity can damage a place’s reputation,” he says.

In an article named Deciding the Best Place to Live by David Quilty on the financial website Money Crashers, the writer says that security is paramount in deciding where to live and one has be aware of the crime rate and statistics of an area.

“By researching the crime rates and statistics for various areas, you can learn more about the safety of a town or neighborhood,” he writes.

“If you have already decided where you want to live, stop by the local police station to discuss your new neighborhood. The police will be happy to discuss any concerns you have about the area. You can also check out crime reports, which lets you review crime statistics for different neighborhoods.”

His point is supported by Nyakomitah. “Crime reports are important for both tenants and developers as they create awareness and alertness,” says Nyakomitah.

“These reports inform people on where to invest and live, because truth is, no one wants to live or invest in a place where they are constantly under threat. Investors know their properties will be hard to sell if the area is prone to crime. Tenants will always try to stay as safe as possible.”

In 2013, SRIC did a similar survey, and the findings were not as rosy. Kayole, Kibera, Lunga Lunga, Jericho and Soweto were named as the most notorious hoods.

The places were said to have given a wide berth by the police. Other unsafe areas included Makadara, Mukuru kwa Reuben, Kariokor and Mlango Kubwa in Starehe. South C and Westlands suburbs were also mentioned, with carjacking being prevalent.

“People living in slums know the dangers they expose themselves to but in this instance, security is not as important to them as living within their means,” says Nyakomitah.

“They have no choice as compared to people who can decide where to live depending on factors like security.” With crime slowly creeping into once safe zones like the leafy suburbs of Nairobi, Cheruiyot opines that unless the statistics change, investors will be left with beautiful and big houses that are unoccupied.

“The uptake will slow down in these suburbs if crime persists,” says Cheruiyot. “Even apartments that are for rental will stay empty for longer periods. Security has a massive ripple effect everywhere.”

There is good news though. A new crime report released last week by the police indicated a drop in crimes - 69, 736 cases were reported in 2014 compared to 71,832 the previous year.