Home Security

As we prepare for the holidays, with most planning to travel upcountry, it is important that we have security top on the list. If you plan to be away from your home, increase the number of locks on your house or employ other security measures to keep your property safe.

"Several times in the past, thieves attempted to break into my house and I acquired dogs to help with securing my home. But one day, we woke up with one of the three dead. At that point, I realised they would not be enough. So, I acquired razor wire. Because of its sharpness, the thieves only get close to the fence, but find it difficult to jump over,"says Gabriel Ssebufu, a home owner.

Whereas installing razor wire is one way of enhancing security at home, it is not all. George Karongo, the business manager of Security World Technologies, says installing an alarm system is another option.

"It requires a mother board and control panel to function well," says Karongo.

He explains that with this type of alarm, one has to put a sim-card in the control panel and in case of an intrusion, a trigger will be given off and you will instantly get an SMS on your phone, which can be a UTL or MTN line with post-paid airtime.

With this kind of connection, wherever you are, you get a communication about the state of your home.

Karongo, however, says if one is going up country, he would recommend that they have the backing of a security guard on top of the alarm system.

Another option is to have an alarm system integrated with CCTV, where in case of an intrusion, the alarm triggers the cameras and they start recording.

A control panel costs sh2.5m, it also has sensors to detect any motion and send a trigger to any security company of your choice.

There is also the option of using magnetic contacts for the door. These will go off when the door is broken or being forced to open. The vibration sensors for windows will trigger an alarm when one breaks it or tries to force it open. The magnets are screwed to the door, while safety glue is for fixing vibration sensors on the windows.

To ensure that no one comes in close proximity with the house, there are Watch-out Passive Infrared gadgets that are planted in the compound.

Karongo says they are weather proof, do not detect false alarm, but only human being intrusions. These too are connected to the control panel motherboard so that they can send a signal as quickly as possible.

Because of the sharpness of the razor wire ,thieves usually find it a challenge to jump over fences like this one.