Justice D.K. Njagi Marete in a court ruling quoted the book, A Game of Thrones. It’s the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It is also the name of the famous HBO TV series based on the book series.
The Kenyan judge was delivered a ruling in a case where Collins Oluoch Odumba, who works in the judiciary as a Senior Court Assistant, had been charged with contempt of court. The quote was delivered to make a point that sometimes innocents suffer as those who are responsible for their suffering sit in glory. The accused in the case, Collins Oluoch Odumba, was innocent and was almost about to suffer through no fault of his own.
The judge it turns out is a reading man and quite a writer. Here is an excerpt from his judgement (Read in full HERE).
This all times debate of philosophy was recently revisited by George R. R. Martin in his master piece, A Game of Thrones, Harper voyager, 2011 at page 613 as follows;
“Rhaenys was a child too. Prince rhaegar’s daughter. A precious little thing, younger than your girls. She had a small black kitten she called Balerion, did you know? I always wondered what happened to him. Rhaenys liked to pretend he was the true Balerion, the Black Dread of old, but I imagine the Lannisters taught her the difference between a kitten and a dragon quick enough, the day they broke down her door.” Varys gave a long weary sigh, the sigh of a man who carried all the sadness of the world in a sack upon his shoulders. “The High Septon once told me that as we sin, so do we suffer. If that’s true, Lord Eddard, tell me … why is it always the innocents who suffer most, when you high lords play your game of thrones? Ponder it, if you would, while you wait upon the queen. And spare a thought for this as well: The next visitor who calls on you could bring you bread and cheese and the milk of the poppy for your pain … or he could bring you Sansa’s head.” (underlining mine.)
We would understand the plight of Varys. The million dollar question that has disturbed philosophy is why the innocent would continue to suffer when the high lords and them all play their game of thrones? The world, like the accused officer in this cause, continues to suffer whereas we sit in glory in our ivory towers unconcerned. Why would this continue to happen? Human failure and despondency is the big answer.