Githu: I’ll transform State Law office

New Attorney General Githu Muigai took over office from Amos Wako last week. Kenyans have high expectations that he will transform the State Law Office that has for years suffered public mistrust due to the manner in which the holders were manipulated by the Government. The Standard on Sunday Reporter Isaac Ongiri spoke to him.
 
Question: The office of the Attorney General today is seen as a powerless entity. People believe it is a diluted version of what your predecessor held. Do you think this will affect the effectiveness of your work as the AG?
Answer: There is misconception perpetuated by lack of information regarding the roles of the Attorney General. The truth of the matter is that the Constitution has only transferred a mere department from the State Law Office and that is the former Department of Public Prosecutions. But I can tell you that I have a lot of work here, in fact, more than enough. The AG is a member of the Cabinet, a Member of Parliament, sits in the boards of over 30 parastatals; the Central Bank, Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Ports Authority just to name but a few. Further to that, the AG’s office is in charge of the registries. You know that the Registrar General is responsible for registration of companies, civil marriages, partnerships and business names. Then look at the drafting of all laws and subsidiary legislations, custody of international treaties, civil litigation and legal advisory. The list is endless.

But the holder of the office previously enjoyed the security of tenure, which apparently you do not have now?
Security of tenure has nothing to do with 95 per cent of the AG’s  work as provided for in the Constitution. That power has very little effect in determining whether the AG will fail to give independent advice to remain in the job for a longer period. No politician will be expecting the AG to give him the wrong advise. I think it will be appreciated that if you have an efficient and technically sound, AG then you should be happy that you have an asset in Government and not a liability.