Appealing to court of public opinion unwise

President Uhuru Kenyatta was resplendent in his red and black ceremonial military uniform. Donning the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces colours, he cut a severe figure. The venue was Nyayo Stadium, the heart of Kenya’s premier city, Nairobi. The message, when it came, was delivered with controlled exasperation. Because the occasion was Jamhuri Day, Kenya’s independence celebrations, it did not leave the recipients with the right of reply.

The gist of the message was that the Judiciary was the weak link in the fight against corruption. The subliminal cues, however, spoke of an assertion of authority by one arm of Government over the other.