Kenya: Former Prime Minister and CORD leader Raila Odinga is back home after a break in the US lasting almost three months. His supporters and detractors alike felt his long absence from the political scene.
Hence, his legion of supporters is in order to be excited and subsequently, accord him a fitting welcome.
The banning and unbanning this week of the political rally planned for today to welcome him back, was therefore, ill-advised and left Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo with egg on his face, especially because of the casual manner in which President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the CORD rally be allowed to take place.
While Mr Kimaiyo said he feared a political rally could be easy prey for criminals, he should have consulted the presidency and the opposition leaders before issuing the announcement.
Government should not be seen to be working at cross-purposes, especially now that terror threats have become real.
Kenyans in positions of responsibility should display unity of purpose in all their actions and utterances.
Still, we should not be seen to be giving in to fear instilled by the terrorists. This is the time to demonstrate our fearless response to terror threats.
Indeed, politicians from across the political divide, government officials, including Cabinet Secretaries and Members of the County Assemblies, should unite in urging all Kenyans to go about their business without fear.
The security agencies should then be on overdrive securing all possible targets. Their spokespersons and leaders should be publicly instilling confidence in Kenyans and foreigners alike that everything is under control.
It is cowardly and unfortunate for the police leadership to appear crying wolf and discouraging Kenyans from congregating or going about their daily routines. This is what the masters of terror crave and we must not let them have it.
When the al-Qaeda adherents struck the US on September 11, 2001, then US President George Bush, the opposition and other leaders united in calling on Americans to take the hit bravely.
Mr Bush encouraged all Americans to go about their business unperturbed, but be vigilant and help security agencies in defeating the enemy.
That is exactly what we need in the face of increasing grenade attacks and bomb scares. Telling Kenyans to cow in fear and keep themselves locked in the house is the wrong response.
Mr Kimaiyo and the intelligence agencies must not only appear confident, but also be proactive in this war of attrition.
Now, a foreign observer once rightly noted that Kenya is permanently gripped in a campaign mood and that politics makes the nation tick.
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As the CORD leader returns home today, we urge his supporters, the police and Kenyans in general, to display decorum and maturity.
It is also important, as Raila himself said, to exercise restraint and remain civil during and after the Uhuru Park rally. Creating chaos and disorder would be disrespectful to the leader of the opposition. Supporters must avoid the temptation to incite unnecessary physical confrontations.
Politics is competition, but it does not have to degenerate into fights or hatred. Indeed, since politics shapes the destiny of our country, we should all strive to make it as clean as possible to attract our best brains into political leadership.
The police should equally handle the rally professionally and deter any threat to security.
Freedom of expression and association is one of the pillars of the nation and it is anchored in the constitution.
Therefore, every Kenyan, including the security agencies and the political class, must respect that provision today and always.
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