The arrivals section at JKIA. [Photo/nation.co.ke]
Police owe it to Kenyans to do everything possible to keep the National Resistance Movement (NRM) members out of the airport when Raila Odinga returns tomorrow. Raila’s violent militia, who managed to stop elections in 27 constituencies in Luo Nyanza on October 26, plan to storm into the busy Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Friday to welcome NRM leader Raila Odinga, who had gone to the United States for hibernation after making a terrible mistake of dropping out of the presidential race.As political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has observed, Raila’s theatrics are like a rocking chair, which keeps everyone busy but takes people nowhere. For the past five years, Raila has always been in the news, keeping his supporters very busy, but has not taken them to the Canaan he has been promising. Most supporters are now confused. This is not the first time that Raila has gone on holiday in the US for a short period and have his men plan a grand return. He did that in 2014, and kept his followers busy briefing him on what had happened during his absence, using the hashtag #BabaWhileYouWereAway. For 10 years now, close followers of Raila have proven to be ruthless in unleashing violence — from disrupting elections, stopping traffic, stoning vehicles of innocent people, looting, beating people, etc. — and that is just one reason why they cannot be allowed to step anywhere near the international airport.Police will also need to ensure that the NRM militia do not stop traffic on the busy Mombasa Road. Other Kenyans have freedom of movement. During this time of national secondary school exams, one would expect that Raila, who infamously said that the “kids will not die” if his selfish political ambitions are allowed to prevail ahead of the future of nearly one million Kenyan children, will wait for the exam period to end before restarting his drama. Four four students belong to all Kenyans — whether in Jubilee or NASA — and caring for them should be a bipartisan issue. But for Raila, nothing should come in front of his disruptive agenda.