This archive report was first published on 3 November 2019.
On a typical Friday afternoon in November 2019, a shocking incident unfolded on Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi. I was walking towards the city centre when a group of six young thugs suddenly attacked a man ahead of me.
Within seconds, the thugs were on the floor, writhing in pain, while the others fled in terror. The man had bravely defended himself against the attackers, leaving them stunned and helpless.
As I watched the scene unfold, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and admiration for the man's bravery. It was a surreal moment that left me wondering about the effectiveness of self-defence training in our society.
As I reflected on the incident, I realized that many of us, especially women, would freeze in fear or hand over our belongings to avoid confrontation. Perhaps it's time we started having a national conversation about introducing self-defence as a subject in our schools.
This way, our children and future generations can grow up to be more confident adults capable of protecting themselves to some degree. As it stands, many of us are at the mercy of criminals, and it's time we take matters into our own hands.
