AMOS SITSWILA WAKO
| NAME | AMOS SITSWILA WAKO |
| AGE | 81 YEARS |
| GENDER | MALE |
| OCCUPATION | POLITICIAN |
Amos Wako is a former Attorney General of Kenya and the first senator for Busia County from 2013 to 2022.
Wako won the senatorial seat after defeating former Minister of Finance Chris Okemo on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
He currently serves as Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Constitutional Experts for Drafting the EAC Political Federation Constitution, the body drafting the constitution for the East African Confederation.
Being a professional lawyer, Wako served as the Attorney General of Kenya for 20 years, from May 13, 1991, to August 26, 2011, serving as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a member of the International Commission of Jurists, Member Council of Legal Education, and a member of the International Bar Association.
The lawyer-turned-politician was also a Legal Advisor to the Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) and the Kenya Boy Scouts Association, a Member of the Faculty Board of Law at the University of Nairobi, and a Member of the O.A.U. Committee of experts on the O.A.U. Charter Review Committee and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
In 1977, Wako was awarded the title of Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and in 1978, he was honoured as a lifetime member of the Wiltshire Bar Association.
In 2019, the US State Department publicly designated Wako, his wife, and his son, barring them from entering the United States due to alleged involvement in significant corruption. Throughout his tenure as AG, critics accused him of failing to successfully prosecute major scandals, such as Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing.
Early Life and Educational Background
Amos Sitswila Wako was born on July 31, 1945, in Busia County, Kenya.
He went to Kakamega School and the Alliance High School for his secondary school studies.
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He earned his initial law degree from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, which was then the premier institution for legal studies in East Africa.
In a versatile demonstration of his abilities, he earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Economics from the University of London.
The former Attorney General further specialized by earning his Master’s degree from the University of London.
Amos Wako’s Career
Wako began his career at the prestigious law firm Kaplan & Stratton, where he rose from assistant to partner within just three years, from 1969 to 1972.
During this time, he became a central figure in the legal community, serving as the Chairman of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) from 1979 to 1981.
Appointed by President Daniel Arap Moi, Wako served as Kenya’s 4th Attorney General for a record-breaking 20 years, from 1991 to 2011.
In 1991, Sistwila oversaw the critical transition from a one-party state to a multiparty democracy and was a key figure in the decade-long push for a new constitution, ultimately presiding over the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
The politician chaired the 2005 constitutional review process that produced a proposed draft, which was ultimately rejected in a national referendum.
Wako built a formidable global reputation as a human rights expert before and during his tenure as AG:
Member of the UN Human Rights Committee from 1985 to 1992 and served as a Special Rapporteur for the UN.
He was elected to the International Law Commission (ILC) and served as its Vice-Chairman in 2020.
The senior counsel held leadership roles in the African Bar Association and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
After retiring as AG, Wako successfully transitioned into elective politics and was elected Senator for Busia on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket in 2013, winning a second term in 2017.
In 2018, he was appointed as the Co-Chair of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which is a high-profile task force aimed at constitutional and administrative reforms following the collaboration between Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta.
Achievements
Wako is credited with overseeing the historic repeal of Section 2A, which transitioned Kenya from a one-party state to a multiparty democracy.
In 2010, he played a central role in the drafting and final promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
Amos piloted legislation through Parliament that created the independent Electoral Commission to ensure fairer elections.
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The senior counsel made it to the International and Regional Legal Leadership, ILC, election as President of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1997.
The politician made history as the first African to serve as the UN Special Rapporteur on Summary or Arbitrary Executions between 1982 and 1992.
He served as the Secretary-General of the African Bar Association from 1978 to 1980 and was the founding Chairman of the Public Law Institute from 1982 to 1991, a key public-interest law firm in Kenya.
Amos Wako holds the highest rank among advocates in Kenya, Senior Counsel, which was awarded to him for his exemplary contributions to the development of the law.
He has been awarded the Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH) and the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in London and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
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