I don’t feel nuh safe inna a mi country,
Oh nuh I dont.
Insecurity is everywhere,
No matter where I turn.
Them boys K South them sang,
They don’t know where to turn,
Run one way they dem mit de thugs,
Them go di other way them de meet the cops,
Both don’t have mercy on the civilian.
Sometimes one can’t even tell,
Between them cops and thieves,
Them both bleed you dry,
And rob you blind.
I cry for mi country,
Because the church no longer respected,
As the sanctuary.
Gangsters no longer respect Jah,
Them walk into the house of worship,
Sometimes they steal purses,
Then them steal cash and phones,
With dem guns.
Now them go with guns,
And kill innocent worshipers.
I don’t feel no safe in a mi country,
Oh no I don’t.
I cant go home late now,
Because mi fear the men in the shadows,
I cant outrun them guns,
Oh no I cant.
This is my land,
But I don’t feel safe in my own country,
Oh no I don’t.
The politicians have taken many of the coppers,
To be dem bodyguards,
Some designated as watchmen.
What about me Mr. politician,
What about mi security?
I don’t fell no safe in my own town,
Oh no I don’t.
I am too scared to go to Eastleigh,
To buy cheap goods,
Because I am scared of them terrorist grenades.
Scared too now of them malls,
Because I don’t know which might be targeted.
I am walking around with a bullseye,
On mi back,
Me don’t know when that shot might come.
I don’t fell no safe in my own country,
Oh no I don’t.
Insecurity in Kenya is a very serious issue. The reason I wrote this not so serious poem is because sometimes if I really think about insecurity I would cry. This country has changed in the 3 or so decades I have been in it. I have never felt so insecure. There was a time when I would take a mat from the rave at 2 and walk home from the stage. Now at 930 I feel unsafe walking the distance between home and the stage. Stealing has become so profitable that even women are getting into it, forming gangs that rob women at gunpoint.
My country is becoming ugly, maybe it was ugly before, but because it hadn’t reached the middle class I didn’t notice. Nowadays it doesn’t matter where you live, insecurity is an issue. Not all of us can afford a personal watchman for our houses (who is useless if shown a gun), we can’t all afford high fences, with electric wire.
We need solutions, not promises from our government. We cannot go on like this. Our president made promises about security and so far things have not gotten better. Even our animals are not safe. Poaching figures have gone up. We need a turnaround. We need action on security.
