Should Kenya's aid donors direct their support towards infrastructure development and leave governance reforms to Kenyans, or should they be involved in both?

This question formed the basis of a lively debate at the European Development Days conference in Stockholm, Sweden, last Friday.

The debate followed a remark by Prime Minister Raila Odinga the previous day that while governance reforms in Kenya were crucial for peace and stability, they needed political will by Kenyans but very little help from outside.

On the other hand, he argued, infrastructure development, especially the construction of transport networks, such as roads, railways, ports and airports required considerable assistance from Kenya's international partners.

The Prime Minister defined infrastructure broadly to encompass the fibre optic cable for high speed internet connectivity and public utilities, such as water and energy supplies.

However, Mr. Odinga appears to have under-estimated the effect of his remarks on the European Development Days conference, which had attracted about 6000 participants, including over 20 heads of state or government, leading business people, UN officials and several Nobel laureates.

The European Development Days conference, which ran from October 22 to 24, focused on the following themes: democracy, development and climate change.

The moderator of last Friday's session on "democracy and development" was the Secretary-General of IDEA and a former Assistant Foreign Minister of Norway, Mr. Vidar Helgesen, who asked a panel of eminent politicians to respond to Mr. Odinga's remarks.

For the next two hours, the Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, former New Zealand Prime Minister and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Karel De Gucht, and the Swedish Minister for International Development Co-operation Gunilla Carlsson, debated the implications of Mr. Odinga's statement.

However, Mr Odinga, unaware of the controversy he had sparked, was not there to respond because he was attending a different function.

When I caught up with Mr Odinga on the last day of the conference shortly after he had given an address on "The road to Copenhagen and beyond", he explained that he was not opposed to foreign assistance directed towards governance reforms.

He argued that without adequate investment in infrastructure, Kenya would find it hard to open up rural areas, run an efficient education system, empower women and achieve rapid development.

The Prime Minister also explained how the themes of the European Development Days conference fitted into Kenya's national interests and the ambitious

He acknowledged that there was a crucial connection between governance and the efficient functioning of Kenya's infrastructure.

Without good governance, Kenyans would be unlikely to benefit much from the information super-highway and other infrastructure projects.

Makinda is Professor of Security, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism Studies, Murdoch University, Australia.