April 10, 1981: Professor Wangari Muta Mathai of University of Nairobi is jailed for six months for contempt of court. The editor-in-chief of Viva magazine, Mohamed Salim Lone, jointly charged with her for publishing the words complained of, was fined 10,000/- or three months jail. The author of the article, Miriam Kiarie, was unconditionally discharged. Mathai had been quoted in the February issue of the Viva as having alleged that the finding of the court in allowing a divorce petition brought against her by her husband, Mr. Mwangi Mathai, “was corrupt and incompetent”. The State had filed a notice of motion seeking the court to commit Mathai, Lone and reporter Kiarie to prison for the alleged contempt of court: Mr. Justice Simpson, Mr. Justice Nyarangi and Mr. Justice Platt said in their 18-page judgment that the meaning of the words complained of was clear: “The judge is capable of corruption since he found her guilty of adultery. There can be no greater abuse of a judge than to call him or suggest him to be corrupt in the discharge of his duties.

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