Even as a dark cloud continues to hang over Tana River County following a spate of violence, Kenya is once again under watch of the international community, as it prepares for the General Election.

On Thursday, the Obama Administration asked Kenya to create conditions for credible and peaceful elections. 

A statement from the State Department asked the Government to resolve differences among sections of Kenyans to allow voters to participate in the March 4, 2103  elections.

The US said it is worried that the current cycle of killings might lead to more serious communal violence as the elections approach.

At the same time, a global team of experts on democracy chaired by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has equally urged the Government to avoid the mistakes that led to the 2007-2008 post-election mayhem in which 1,133 people were killed, 600,000 uprooted from their homes and property worth billions of shillings destroyed.

These warnings come against the backdrop of unprecedented violence in Tana River County over the last one month. 

So far, 110 people have been killed in the worst conflict to hit the area since independence.

Even as an uneasy calm returns to the area, pictures of villagers fleeing for fearing more attacks by raiders are worrying.

This also indicates the people can no longer trust security officers to protect them after enduring weeks of untold terror from Orma and Pokomo raiders.

The crisis in the Tana Delta must worry us all, especially when armed and daring attackers kill police officers.

There was no denying that the security situation in Tana River was getting out of hand and even earlier assurances from Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere that security had been stepped up did not deter the attackers from staging their heinous acts.

While we appreciate the Cabinet decision on Thursday to give the police the green light to act decisively and end clashes in Tana River County, we must at the same time ask why it had to take the deaths of over 100 people for the Government to act.

When the Cabinet met on Thursday, it came up with a raft of measures aimed at restoring peace.

This included the deployment of additional security officers to stop the fighting between the warring communities.

The meeting, which was chaired by President Kibaki at State House, expressed concern at the rising insecurity in the Tana Delta and directed the police to use all means to protect the lives and property of the residents.

The Cabinet decision was sparked by reluctance by the police to use force fearing they could be hauled before a tribunal or taken to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

If the mayhem experienced in 2007-2008 as a result of disputed presidential election results is anything to go by, then the concerns on violence expressed by the US Government and Annan’s team are valid.

With only months to the next General Election, the Government must ensure that the country does not slide back to those dark days.

The violence in the Tana Delta could be a clear indicator that the intelligence network could be out of touch with the security situation.

This is why the Government must take decisive steps to ensure that peace remains top of its agenda.

Equally, all efforts must be put in place to resolve differences among sections of Kenyans, especially in the political hotspots.

As the Annan team said last month, the events in Tana River County underscore the importance of augmenting efforts to promote national unity and reconciliation.

As we again condemn the violence in the Tana Delta, we reiterate Annan’s caution that the perpetrators of such violence must be brought to justice swiftly, lest impunity sows the seeds for future attacks.

The murder of Kenyans by other Kenyans is a national tragedy that must not be allowed to continue, especially as we prepare for the General Election.