Kenyans must be vigilant all times in festive season

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti hosts a special Christmas party for children on December 16, 2025. [John Muia, Standard]

The festive season in Kenya has a rhythm of its own. Roads hum with the roll of rubber on tarmac and roaring of engines as Kenyans cruise upcountry or favourite holiday destinations, homes swell with returning family members and visitors, churches echo with thanksgiving, and marketplaces glow with the promise of celebration.

December is when we slow down, reflect, reconnect, give generously, and - true to our nature - look out for one another. Yet it is also a season that quietly tests our collective and individual sense of alertness, caution and security.

As we celebrate Christmas and usher in a new year, it is worth pausing to remember a simple but powerful truth: security does not begin with sirens or uniforms; it begins with individuals. With me. With you. With the everyday choices we make as we go about enjoying the season.

This is not a call to fear, nor a suggestion to retreat from the joy of the holidays. It is an appeal for vigilance - calm, practical, and humane - so that our celebrations are marked by laughter and reunion, not regret. I know Kenyans don’t “buy fear” and “hawapangwingi.”

However, without been keen, wary and vigilant, criminals may “pangua” individuals in unfathomable ways. Imagine a damaging injury from a mugging or robbery with violence, or that pricey phone or electronic, or car or bag full of shopping cash just stolen! Quite unsettling, right? These can be avoided through intentional individual vigilance and social responsibility complementing the measures instituted by our security agencies.

Crowded places are part of festive Kenya: shopping centres, open-air markets, matatu stages, churches, concerts, beaches, weddings, funerals, and family gatherings. In such spaces, criminals thrive on distraction. The excitement of the season can dull our instincts, making it easier for pickpockets and thieves to take advantage.

A little caution goes a long way. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Keep valuables secure in zipped, well-positioned bags. Be alert to diversionary tactics - someone bumping into you, asking for directions, or creating a minor commotion - while an accomplice quietly helps themselves to your phone or wallet.

Be especially cautious of thieves on motorcycles who snatch handbags, phones, or necklaces from pedestrians and disappear in seconds. Awareness is not suspicion; it is self-care.

Kenyans are famously compassionate. We stop to help. We give lifts. We respond instinctively to someone in distress. Sadly, criminals sometimes exploit this kindness through what can be called “vulnerable traps.”

Motorists should be particularly careful at night or in isolated areas. There have been cases where a woman, man, or even a child is placed along a deserted road to trigger a Good Samaritan response. Unsuspecting drivers stop to help, only to be ambushed, injured, or robbed. It is a painful paradox: a huge price to pay for having a big heart.

Whether you are driving across counties or inching through holiday traffic in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret, or Nakuru, basic vehicle safety matters. Whether in a matatu or personal car or a cab, keep doors locked and windows up, especially in traffic jams.

There are countless reports of phones and other valuables being snatched from motorists stuck in slow-moving traffic, with thieves vanishing into alleyways or weaving through cars on motorcycles.

I wish every Kenyan and every citizen of the world reading this a Merry Christmas and a much better 2026. May your celebrations be bright, your journeys safe, and your phones remain firmly in your pockets, handbags or hands. And may your New Year be full of hope, prosperity, and just enough caution and safety to keep all that joy intact.

-The writer comments on topical issues