Why Cheap is Expensive when it Comes to Housing Location
A blood-chilling video of a woman being robbed in her own compound by over five thugs is doing rounds on Twitter.
Emomeri Maryanne
The thugs are armed with what appears to be a slasher which they use to destroy the window of the woman's car who refused to open the car door. The assailants also have a rifle with them which they scare the woman out of the car. It is hard to watch the video to the end. This takes place in Gataka in Rongai.
Just a few days ago in a WhatsApp group, a man complained that he was watching the 9 O'clock news and the next thing they know is that they are waking up to an almost empty house whereby some things including the television were stolen. He was grateful his life and that of his family were spared. Two other people also claimed to have been robbed this way. These incidences also took place in Rongai.
Plots and houses around Rongai sell like hotcakes. Home buyers are lured into buying houses and plots at good prices. Some houses come with their own compound and some are away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded Rongai area. These are the highly preferred ones. The environment also appears to be peaceful and the area itself has developed over the years with shopping centres, good schools and many other social amenities.
The fact that it has been an insecure place ever since is often overlooked by homebuyers and people who have little resources and want to have a place to call home. But compromising on security is a major risk when buying a home or renting. The loss of property and in some cases, loss of life can never be replaced.
The incident prompted the Interior Cabinet Secretary Mr. Matiang'i to visit the area and so far two arrests have been made in Kasarani.
Protecting Your Home
What would be the best way to protect your life and your home?
Even with the usual security system in your home, this can prove to be useless especially if the thugs know their way around the place. Like in the example above, there's CCTV surveillance in place but the thieves wear masks meaning they could have done their homework well.
The first thing you can do to protect yourself is to have highly trained dogs in your compound. The most preferred dogs for security include the Bullmastiff, German Shepherds, and the Rottweiler just to mention a few.
The second thing to do is to have a tight security system, one that can't be easily identified and hacked into.
When it comes to buying or building just remember that cheap is expensive. Get to know the place well by talking to different people before committing to settle.
