Let us do away with the man in uniform - the Aide de Camp (ADC) - who always sits and stands behind most African Presidents, Kenya included.
Like the white ‘horse wings’ that used to be worn by the National and Senate Assemblies in Kenya were done away with, the same should apply to the soldier wearing the insigmia aiguillette (braided yellow or red ropes around the right shoulder. It reflects colonialism and does not add any value to a free democratic nation like Kenya.
If that is what trappings of power means, then the “imported” culture has been overtaken by time. Kenya is not a monarch; we now need our own way of doing things. We have come of age. The soldier sitting or standing behind a democratically elected people’s president portrays a negative picture of a monarchy leadership or a military leader or a dictator ruling with an iron fist. We can borrow from the first black to become US President - Barack Obama. We did not see any soldier sitting or standing behind him when he visited Kenya last weekend.
