Your fence says a lot about your socioeconomic class

That fence around your house tells a lot about you [Alice Ariri Abuga]

I noted that fences are rare in the western part of Kenya compared with say central Kenya. I thought it was about land ownership. But even if one owns a piece of land in say Shamakhokho, it is unlikely to be fenced, and if fenced, with shrubs. I bet barbed wire business does very badly there. In central Kenya, land is fenced with barbed wire and other reinforcements. In Nairobi, we go beyond barbed wire into razor wire and stone blocks. In affluent suburbs, fences are often “live” with plants or hedges.

Fences, to a large extent, are a measure of trust. The regions without fences perhaps exhibit a high-level of trust. They believe in their neighbours, likely to be of help in times of need. They probably know them by name, know their children and their friends. They have time to chat during good and bad times. And they have nothing to hide. I am told fencing in that part of the country means you are mean and unwelcoming.