Nairobi — Soon after the fall of Communism in the 1980s, successive American governments have cajoled, coaxed, persuaded and pushed Kenya's leadership to change course.

The repeal of Section 2 (a) in the Constitution to pave way for multiparty politics in the early 1990s remains the single most important feat achieved through combined internal and external pressure -- America's included.

But as experience of the past two decades has shown, multiparty politics does not automatically translate into good governance. The bad and the ugly of the old dictatorial days still remains. This is why the clamour for change continues incessantly.

Kenyans and well-wishers, mainly the donor community want a sea change in the legal, political, economic, land and infrastructure frameworks.

In this crusade, America, through its ambassador Michael Ranneberger, is leading the pack, repeatedly issuing threats of travel bans to leaders blocking change.

No lesser than the Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Clinton, visited Kenya and made the point quite succinctly to President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Mr Johnie Carson has visited Kenya repeatedly in the past few months on the same mission.

Clearly, what American is asking the Kenyan leadership to do, is what the citizens have been asking for, namely good governance. Those putting brakes to the reform agenda should be punished. But there are better ways of doing this.

Instead of issuing travel bans in public, can't the embassy use diplomatic channels? Aren't there international charters that govern relationships between nations, and which deserve to be respected?

Friendly nations must continue working with Kenyans to campaign for good governance and elimination of all the vices that constrain growth, but within internationally accepted framework.