Amos Wako is a Kenyan politician, former Attorney General and the first senator for Busia county from 2013 to 2017. Amos won the senatorial seat after beating former minister of finance, Chris Okemo. Amos won the senator seat under an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) being led by Hon. Raila Odinga.
Age
He was born on 31st July, 1945.
Wife
He got married to his lovely wife Flora Ngaira and together have been blessed with two children, Julius and Debora.
Family
Amos was a happily married man to his first wife, Flora Ngaiya, with whom the two were blessed with two adorable children, Julius and Debora. The son has taken his image and specialized lawyer in banking and finance matters. In 1997, Amos met and fell in love with Philomena Mwilu, his de facto second wife. Although the two are not formally married, they have been faithful to each other.
Education
Amos attended Kakamega School and later Alliance High School for both his O and A level. He was enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Economics at the University of London, a Bachelor of Laws at the University College of Dar es Salaam and also a Master of Laws at the University of London
Lawyer
Wako served as the Attorney General for over 20 years that’s from 1991 to 2011. He was an Advocate of the Kenyan High Court, during his reign as the attorney general, a member of the International Commission of Jurists, Member Council of Legal Education, a Member Council of International Bar Association. He’s a Legal Advisor to YMCA (Young men Christian Association) and Kenya Boy Scouts Association. Member Faculty Board of Law, University of Nairobi’s Member, OAU Committee of experts on the OAU charter Review Committee and African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. Amos was Awarded fellow International Academy of Trial Lawyers in 1977, and honoured as a life member of Wiltshire Bar Association in 1978.
Career
Amos Wako served in several professional organizations even holding the position of Secretary General of the African Bar Association from 1978 to 1980 and also as the first secretary general of the Inter-African Union of Lawyers. Wako is the Faculty Board’s member of Law at the University of Nairobi. From 1985 to 1992, he was a member of the UN Human Rights Committee. In 1969, Amos started working for Kaplan & Stratton and later became a Partner from 1972 to 1991 when he was appointed Attorney General. Amos served as chairman of LSK from 1979 to 1981. Wako was also held numerous positions in the regional and global bodies which dealt with constitutional and governance affairs.
He has been the Attorney General at historic and transitional period in the Kenya’s history. Some of the matters dealt with include Oversaw the transition from one party state to a multiparty democracy in December 1991 and from one to another Government through a free and fair election in which the ruling party, KANU was defeated by the opposition, NARC in December 2002. Piloted through Parliament the necessary Constitutional amendments and legislation such as providing for a multi-party democratic State and setting up of an independent Electoral Commission. Chaired National Constitutional Conferences consisting of MPs, religious leaders and also representatives of the civil society.
Drafting the proposed new Constitution based on the Constitution’s Bill as drafted by the National Constitutional Conference and amended by Parliament. This was Draft constitution which was nicknamed ‘the Wako Draft’, but in 2005, failed at the Kenyan constitutional referendum. Amos kept his position as Attorney General through the transition from First President Daniel arap Moi to second President Mwai Kibaki. Amos was dealing with the Goldenberg scandal, a long-running corruption scandal that has lasted for over 20 years. Amos was given a travel ban, in October 2009, by the USA for deliberately blocking political reforms, following post-poll violence in 2008. On 26th August 2011, he left the State Law Office as per the new constitution which demanded him to leave his office One year after its promulgation. Amos was Succeeded by Prof Gitu Muigai. He joined the ODM and contested for Busia senate seat in the General Election.
The US State Department announced that Amos, his wife and child were barred for travel to the US due to significant corruption on 18th November, 2019.
