Nairobi, June 18 -- In terms of theatrical delivery, and in articulating the sweeping spending and revenue decisions central to economic policy, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi's performance during this year's budget presentation was impressive. He hit the right notes.

But the speech itself was unnecessarily long.

Historically, budget speeches had to be crafted to deliver absolute surprise. The contents of that iconic black briefcase, hoisted before cameras on Parliament's steps, were genuinely confidential until the minister broke the seal.

Today, however, that mystique is dead. Anyone who has read the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) and the mountain of budget documents published weeks in advance of Budget Day already knows the sc...