A rather unhealthy, certainly unhelpful, debate has been raging as to whether Prime Minister Raila Odinga should visit parts of Central Province.

At the core of the debate is the suspicion that his real aim is to undermine one of his opponents for the 2012 presidential elections, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, at his home-base.

A few weeks ago, a similar debate erupted when President Kibaki's son, Jimmi, announced the intention of launching his rather nebulous outfit, Simama Kenya, in Bungoma in the company of Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa.

The outcry was furious. Eventually, the rally was cancelled, ostensibly in the interest of peace. Mr Wamalwa cried mischief. It so happens that he, too, has announced plans to run for the presidency.

Those Kenyans who believe that the country has so many pressing problems its leaders should have no time for ridiculous side-shows should now know better. The circus has come to town.

Why anyone should object to Mr Odinga visiting any part of the country to carry out any development activity is beyond comprehension. It is time national leaders refused to be drawn into such petty politics.

But all this is beside the point. What matters is that we seem to be harking back to those evil days when politicians zoned parts of the country as out of bounds to their opponents or to those who did not share their mother tongue.

If we allow such diabolical sentiments to take root again, we shall only have ourselves to blame when things take the wrong turn.

There is no law that bars any politician visiting any corner of this country for whatever reason - even as a political tourist. That is his or her right.

Perhaps these leaders should borrow a leaf from Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang'. At the height of the outrage over his handling of the Islamic preacher's issue, Mr Kajwang' was seen in Othaya praising the cleanliness of its market. Nobody protested. That is the way it should be.