On Wednesday, the news of a Senegalese politician being jailed for disobeying court orders hit international news headlines.
According to the news site, www.dailytrust.com.ng, Barthelemy Dias, the mayor of the Mermoz Sacre-Coeur Commune in Dakar was sentenced to six months in jail for “contempt of court, discrediting a judicial decision and incitement to disturb public order.''
On top of that, he was ordered to pay a fine amounting to $188 (Kshs 18,000).
The move by the Senegalese court to sentence a top politician for disobeying court orders is a step in the direction and every other African Country (Kenya Included) should follow suit.
Disobeying court orders is the sure path that leads to degradation of constitution and rule of law.
It sets a bad precedent in a country that is still struggling with democracy.Politicians who think they are above the law should not be spared jail sentences.
Kenya has had its own share of executives who blatantly disobey court orders and make a mockery of the Judiciary.
In my opinion, Kenya should learn from Senegal and throw these people in jail.
Just ordering them to pay fines, as it happened in the case of Interior Cabinet Fred Matiang'i and General Inspector of police Joseph Kipchirchir Boinnet, is not enough.
This trend of disobeying orders and summons is becoming rampant among top politicians and those who hold high posts.
We have not forgotten the case of Information Communications Technology (ICT)Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru when he refused to appear before the parliamentary accounts committee to answer queries on television shut down during the swearing-in of the people's president Raila Odinga.
Even before the dust settled on the Joe Mucheru saga with PAC, the chairman of Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) Wafula Chebukati also refused to honor the summon to appear before PAC.
This trend should be nipped in the bud.