10 Self-Defence Strategies Everyone Should Know

Nobody plans to be attacked on the way home from the stage, but it helps to have a plan anyway. The good news is that most self-defence is not about karate kicks. It is about noticing danger early, avoiding it, and getting away fast if you cannot avoid it.

Here are 10 practical self-defence strategies anyone can use, whether you walk home in Nairobi CBD at night or live in a quiet estate upcountry.

1. Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

Most attackers look for an easy target: someone distracted, alone and not paying attention. Keep your head up, especially at night, at bus stops and when walking through quiet areas. Avoid walking with both earphones in or your eyes glued to your phone. If something feels off, such as someone following you or a car slowing down beside you, take it seriously early.

2. Trust Your Gut

That uneasy feeling is your brain picking up warning signs before you can explain them. If a lift, a boda boda rider, a shortcut or a person makes you uncomfortable, change your plan. It is better to look a little rude than to end up in danger.

3. Plan Your Route and Share Your Location

Use well-lit, busy routes even if they take longer. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Most smartphones and ride-hailing apps let you share your live location or trip details with a friend. Save emergency numbers on your phone before you need them.

4. Avoid and Escape First

The best fight is the one you never have. If you can cross the road, walk into a shop, petrol station or supermarket, or join a group of people, do it. Running away to a safe, busy place is a perfectly good self-defence move.

5. Hand Over Your Valuables

If a robber only wants your phone, wallet or bag, let them have it. A phone can be replaced; you cannot. Throwing your wallet or phone a short distance away from you can also distract the attacker and give you a moment to run in the other direction.

6. Use Your Voice

A loud, firm voice is a strong weapon. Shout clear commands like “Back off!” or “Stop!” If people are nearby, shout for help and point at a specific person: “You in the blue shirt, call the police!” Attackers want silence and no witnesses; noise works against them.

7. Keep Your Distance and Protect Your Head

If someone approaches in a threatening way, keep at least an arm’s length away and put your hands up in front of you, palms open, as if saying “calm down”. This looks non-aggressive to witnesses, but it also protects your face and lets you push away or strike if needed.

8. If You Must Fight, Aim for Weak Spots

When escape is impossible and you are in real danger, strike hard and fast at the most vulnerable areas, then run as soon as you can:

• Eyes: a jab with the fingers or thumb.
• Nose: a strike with the heel of your palm, pushing upwards.
• Throat: a strike with the side of your hand.
• Groin: a knee or kick.
• Knees and shins: a hard kick to the side of the knee or a stamp down the shin onto the foot.

The goal is not to win a fight but to create a few seconds to get away.

9. Know How to Break a Grab

If someone grabs your wrist, twist your arm towards the gap between their thumb and fingers, which is the weakest part of the grip, and pull sharply. If grabbed from behind, drop your weight low, stamp on their foot and drive an elbow backwards. These moves are much easier if you have practised them, which brings us to the last point.

10. Take a Self-Defence Class

Reading about self-defence is a start, but practice builds the confidence and muscle memory you need under stress. Many gyms, martial arts clubs and community groups in Kenyan towns run self-defence, boxing, karate, taekwondo or Krav Maga classes. Look for a qualified instructor and a class that focuses on real-life situations and escape, not just sport.

What the Law Says About Self-Defence in Kenya

Kenyan law allows you to defend yourself. Under section 17 of the Penal Code, Kenyan courts apply the common-law rules on self-defence. In simple terms:

• You may use reasonable force if you honestly and reasonably believe you are being attacked or are about to be attacked.
• The force must be proportionate to the threat. Continuing to beat someone who has stopped attacking or is running away is no longer self-defence.
• Whether the force was reasonable is decided by the court based on the facts of each case.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you have been involved in an incident where someone was hurt, report it to the police and speak to an advocate.

After an Attack

• Get to a safe place and call for help. The National Police Service emergency lines are 999, 112 and 911.
• For sexual or gender-based violence, call the national toll-free GBV helpline 1195, available 24 hours, and seek medical care as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours.
• Report the incident at the nearest police station and get an OB (Occurrence Book) number.
• If your phone was stolen, contact your mobile network to block your line and protect your mobile money.

For more numbers, see our list of Kenya emergency contacts and Kenya Police hotline numbers.

Sources and useful links

• National Police Service: Service standards poster (police hotlines)
• State Department for Gender: GBV prevention and response (1195 helpline)
• David Lentiyo v Republic [2006] KECA 357 (self-defence under section 17 of the Penal Code)
• UN Women: Kenya’s national toll-free helpline 1195