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Amos Wako dares US gov’t after being banned from setting foot in the country

Declare the specific corruption allegations against me - Busia Senator Amos Wako dares US government after travel ban
Declare the specific corruption allegations against me - Busia Senator Amos Wako dares US government after travel ban

Busia Senator and Former Attorney General Amos Wako on Wednesday dared the US government to declare the specific corruption allegations that prompted his ban from setting foot in the country.

Wako addressed a press conference at Parliament Buildings where he decried that the public travel ban against him, his wife, and his son was issued before he was informed the accusations against him.

He noted that since leaving office in 2011, he had never been linked, mentioned, or prosecuted on any corruption-related matters and had in fact served as a state witnesses in some of the Anglo-leasing cases.

Since my retirement, up to now, the levels of corruption have considerably risen. I have not been mentioned, suspected, nor prosecuted in connection with corruption. On the contrary, I have been a witness in a number of cases related to the Anglo Leasing Scandal that are before the courts."

I was perplexed and baffled when out of the blue, without any notification or without being given the fundamental right to be heard on any allegation against me, the travel ban was announced on 18th November 2019,” he said.

Senator Wako wondered why the US issued a travel ban in 2019 when they had already blacklisted him in a similar manner in 2009 on the same allegations.

Both in 2009 and now, ten years late. The allegations of corruption relate to my period as Attorney General of Kenya. It is an old story being resuscitated for reasons being known to whoever is doing it with a timing best known to those doing it."

I am against corruption and I, as an individual, and the people of Kenya, are entitled to the full disclosure of the corruption allegations against me .If the US is a serious partner to Kenya in the war against corruption, let them disclose the allegations against me,” Wako stated.

 The Senator decried that his wife and children were adults who were not involved in his work as Attorney General and should not be punished for his alleged sins.

Wako, however, insisted that the ban would not affect his work as Senator and other tasks which include co-chairing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

He added that in the last ten years after the travel ban in 2009, he had visited the US every year as a commissioner of the UN International Law commission. 

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