Kenya: Former Attorney Amos Wako seems to have no qualms taking responsibility for the dereliction of duty over the Anglo Leasing contracts, which will cost the taxpayer billions of shillings.

In response to his successor Prof Githu Muigai, Wako confirms the “written statement from the AG’s office is substantially correct and factual except for one minor detail”. The minor detail is that his successor referred to himself as a ‘mortician’. Wako does not also have a problem being referred to as the ‘surgeon’ who attended to the ‘Anglo-Leasing patient’.

This honest, candid, forthright and truthful response to Prof Githu makes Wako the only visible face in the Anglo Leasing circus. Together with Musalia Mudavadi who was Transport and Communications Minister and Kisii Senator Chris Obure who was Finance Minister in July 2002 when the First Merchantile and Universal Sat Space contracts were signed, Wako can help illuminate the other shadowy figures behind the fictitious Anglo -Leasing deals.

Wako’s honesty, candidness, forthrightness and truthfulness, can offer fresh impetus to President Kenyatta’s directive for fresh investigations into the multibillion scandal. Hence, in keeping with these rare attributes, Wako should seek an appointment with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Ethics and Anticorruption Commission (EACC), where he should be chauffeured directly upon arrival from Geneva Switzerland where he is on Senatorial duties.  

The AG’s office is a law firm. It is a law firm whose exclusive client is the Government and the public. It is the largest law firm in the country with over 1,000 workers majority being State Counsels. Wako was in this office for 20 years during which mega-scandals – the Goldenberg and Anglo-Leasing were diligently executed with his principal legal advice to the government of the day.

Responding to Prof Githu, Wako asserts that his successor took over from him immediately after filing of the defence on Anglo Leasing cases. As an attorney of no mean repute globally, Wako understands that cases are won or lost at the time of pleadings. He fully understands that submissions influence the outcome of the case by about only 30 per cent.

He was in office at the time when pleadings in the First Merchantile Securities Corporation case were entered in a Geneva Court. It is fair to say Wako was responsible for over 70 per cent of the unforgivable negligence by the State Law Office in defending Kenyans interests in the Anglo-Leasing cases.

Mr Oloo is the Secretary General of TNA, a member of the ruling Jubilee Coalition