The Parklands Diary

  "Treachery! Seek it out." [1] In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet , Prince Hamlet’s command, as quoted above, cuts through the fog of betrayal, urging the unmasking of a kingdom’s deceit veiled by treachery. Kenya’s constitutional democracy too echoes this call, grappling with its own treachery: the corrosion of the separation of powers. When the legislature, executive, or judiciary oversteps its bounds, it brandishes poisons reminiscent of the sword and wine that doom Denmark in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet [2] . Through select cases, this document explores these breaches, wielding Hamlet ’s imagery to spotlight the threats to governance. It demands vigilance—for treachery festers where power strays.   The Constitutional Bedrock: Separation of Powers The Constitution of Kenya, 2010, establishes three [3] arms of government—legislature, executive, and judiciary—ensuring no single branch reigns supreme. Yet, like a stage primed for tragedy, ambition often lures one arm of...

                                              Image on Freepik That the President acknowledges judicial tyranny and impunity as major impediments to the realization of justice and the rule of law is adequate. It is an open secret in the public domain. Granted, the President is an equal shareholder in this country and reserves the right to his own opinion as well as ‘a fair hearing.’ However, publicly chastising elements within one arm of government by another and threatening them with quasi-judicial actions in response to their judgements in the absence of solid incriminating evidence is totally reckless and uncouth. It altogether nullifies the President’s averment that he recognizes the independence of the Judiciary and the significance of the rule of law. It elevates him to becoming a law unto himself and betrays his solemn promise to uphold the spirit and the letter of t...