Why don’t you and your neighbour talk? Dr Ofweneke questions changing lifestyles
By Trizer Lijondo, August 26, 2026In many Kenyan neighbourhoods, neighbours once shared more than a fence or a common corridor. They borrowed household items, exchanged stories and checked on one another. Today, however, changing lifestyles and busy routines have made such interactions less common.
Dr Ofweneke on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, questioned why neighbours no longer talk to each other, reflecting on how close-knit neighbourhood relationships were in the past.
In his remarks, the media personality and motivational speaker asked people to think about the last time they actually had a conversation with the person living next door. He suggested that modern lifestyles may have changed how people relate to those within their communities.
“Why don’t you and your neighbour talk? Infact, mara ya mwisho kuongeleshana ni lini? Infact, mumewahi ongeleshana?” he asked.
His remarks have drawn attention to a simple but increasingly familiar reality, where people can live next to one another for years without developing any meaningful relationship.
When neighbours felt like family
Dr Ofweneke compared today’s relationships with the closeness that existed between neighbours in previous generations, particularly among mothers.
“Our mums used to be so close, walikuwa wanaombana chumvi, walikuwa wanaombana roller ya chapo, walikuwa wanaombana kiberiti,” he said.
He recalled how ordinary household needs created opportunities for neighbours to interact. Borrowing salt, a chapati roller or a matchbox was not simply about getting something one needed. It often meant knocking on a neighbour’s door, having a conversation and maintaining a familiar relationship.
Those small interactions helped create communities where people knew one another and could easily ask for help when necessary.
Have modern lifestyles changed neighbourly ties?
Dr Ofweneke’s questions also highlight how urban life has changed everyday relationships. People are often occupied with work, family responsibilities and personal routines, leaving little time to interact with those around them.
In apartment buildings and gated communities, neighbours may share the same compound or corridors but remain strangers. Some may recognise each other by face without ever knowing each other’s names.
The growth of digital communication has also made it possible to stay connected with friends and family far away while having limited interaction with people living nearby.
A reminder to reconnect
By asking, “Why don’t you and your neighbour talk?” Dr Ofweneke appears to be encouraging people to reconsider the importance of simple human connections within their immediate surroundings.
A greeting, short conversation or small act of kindness could be the beginning of a stronger relationship between neighbours.
His reflection serves as a reminder that community does not always require grand gestures. Sometimes, it starts with simply knocking on the next door and saying hello.