Kenya's interior minister Fred Matiang'i speaks during a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya. January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan high court judge found Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i and the inspector general of police guilty of contempt of court on Wednesday and ordered that they appear for sentencing.

The ruling marks a significant escalation in a tussle between the judiciary and the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta, which opposition leaders and other critics say fails to respect the authority of the courts in political matters.