Call them criminal, perverted or naughty but these are scoundrels — men and sometimes women — with a twisted addiction; peeping into other people’s bedrooms.

By Linah Benyawa

They could be said to be addicted to sex, much like drug addicts can’t do without a fix. But unlike those with an unhealthy addiction to dirty movies, peeping toms literally sneak into the movie theatre for a ringside seat. They perch onto other people’s bathroom and bedroom windows, sometimes lodgings, desperate for a peep.

The behaviour could be expected of adolescent boys who don’t have the courage to face a girl; and the most they can do is peep, but not grown men. Yet the practice is so common at the Kenyan Coast that the naughty peepers have been christened Kozi men.

But what should frighten you most is that they could have spent the better part of last night peeping into your window to satisfy their twisted urges. Worse, they may have discussed every detail of what they saw with their friends as well and, in the process, hanged your torn linen in public.Macabre ordeal

Crazy Monday spoke to several victims who have suffered this macabre ordeal. Most fear the Kozi men could either be under the influence of prohibited substances or are suffering from a mental disorder of some kind.

An Old Town resident who sought anonymity says those men usually patrol narrow-street residential areas where houses are close to each and the windows wide, making it easier to peep.

"In Old Town, houses are close to each other and windows are wide and large. And because Mombasa is hot, some couples make love with the windows open so it’s easier for these people to peep," he says.

More curious is his revelation that some Kozi men just do that to destroy other people’s relationships.

"Let’s say you have admired a woman or divorced her and she got married to another man. He will do anything to break you apart.

He will sneak upon you making love and shout, "she is lying to you! She used to tell me exactly the same words!" much to your pain and anger," he adds.

Such cases were once common in Malindi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu but he adds that the

behaviour is diminishing. He says that years ago, Kozi men had even gone as far as forming a ‘club’ where they would sit and chew miraa while discussing their previous night’s exploits.Addictive hobby

"This would be the topic of the day until the victims found out that someone had been peeping through their windows at their most private and intimate of moments," he said.

One woman, however, described it as a fad, some sort of addictive hobby that could be influenced by the kind of company one kept.

"Jealousy and, in some cases, desperation could also be a driving factor," she adds.

Some men develop a fixation with women they admire but can’t have no matter what they do, and their only recourse is to spy on them at night when they are either alone or with their husbands or lovers.

"This practice used to be common back in the days forcing some Taarab singers to sing songs lamenting the vice. It is a nuisance which is difficult to wish away," she said.

One victim in Majengo was so incensed by the peeping Toms that she sought the help of police officers.

"He used to come twice a week, especially the days when I was getting intimate with my husband. It’s like he had mastered all the days," she said, still miffed.

What angered her most is that she would hear whispers every morning from neighbours concerning her "performance".

"That really shocked me, and when I tried to inquire where they got the stories from, they said they had heard it from a neighbour. I was so embarrassed. I had to take action against him," she added.

She thinks some could be under influence of miraa (khat), and as a result, they can’t sleep or they are incapable of intimate relations themselves. Maybe that is why they go around peeping in people’s bedrooms, she suggests.

Another businesswoman who resides in Mshomoroni, Kisauni in Mombasa County, got the shock of her life when the Kozi man who happened to be a neighbour knocked on her window and demanded to watch a pornographic movie with her. And when she said that could never happen and angrily chased him away, he dropped his business card and asked her to call him anytime so they could start a friendship. He was daring and in the following days, he kept insisting on the friendship but she refused.

Her refusal spiked another move and this one was both insulting and bizarre. He paid her a second visit.

One night, when she was from the bathroom and was dressing up, she heard a voice from her window whispering, "I love your body".Offensive man

This enraged her and she immediately went to her neighbours to seek help. The following morning, all the neighbours asked the gateman to assist them drag the offensive man to the nearest police station.

When they reached the station, the businesswoman was stunned when other acquaintances revealed that they, too, had fallen victim.

"He said that he was new to the neighbourhood and that he wanted to befriend his neighbours. But another explanation he gave was that I was watching porn movies and this disturbed him so he just had to peep," she added.

Another neighbour said he had also visited her house when she had gone to buy some milk and when she came back; he was seated on the couch, bare chest with only a lesso wrapped around his waist.

"I am just trying to make friends!" he had lamented when she ordered him to leave.

The man is said to be an employee of a reputable organisation but his bizarre behaviour shocked many. After being warned by police officers, he was hounded out of the neighbourhood because he had become a nuisance. No one knew what he would do next.

But in a strange twist, another man who also resides in Mshomoroni says the behaviour could also be common among women although he doesn’t offer specific examples.Rush to their wives

He says some of the perverts are old men well past their prime, with struggling libidos.

"They peep to arouse themselves then rush home to their wives," he says chuckling.

Basil Tulesi, a Mombasa-based tutor and counselling psychologist, says such people may be addicted to pornography. Alternatively, they could harbour doubts concerning their own virility and ability to perform well sexually.

Says Tulesi: "There are many underlying issues that trigger and sustain this addiction, self esteem being paramount. You see, people act in a manner that is consistent with their self-image; what they perceive themselves to be."

In their minds, therefore, peeping transforms them into virile hunks with awesome sexuality and the object of every beautiful woman’s desire."