Leaders must not shout, but talk to each other

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga returned home from the US to a rousing welcome yesterday, culminating in a well-attended public rally at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park.

In a democracy, an effective Opposition has a major role to play in checking real and/or potential excesses of the government of the day. In essence, the Opposition is perceived to be the government-in-waiting and must necessarily offer alternative leadership and try to outdo the incumbent government in order to win support from the electorate.