Senator for Busia County Amos Wako has been banned from entering the United State of America. This is according to a statement on the US State Department’s website.
The US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated that the decision was made due to the former Attorney General’s his involvement in significant corruption.
CORRUPTION
“The Department designates former Kenyan Attorney General Amos Sitswila Wako due to his involvement in significant corruption,” read the statement.
The statement also said that Wako’s immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States as well.
“The law also requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate such officials and their immediate family members. In addition to the designation of Mr Wako, the Department is also publicly designating Wako’s wife, Flora Ngaira, and son, Julius Wako,” read the statement in part.
The US Secretary of State stated that Wako’s blacklisting was a strong signal that the United States was a valuable partner in Kenya’s fight against corruption.
WAKO’S FAMILY
“Economic prosperity for all Kenyans is only possible by defeating the scourge of corruption, which also requires a functional, fair, and transparent criminal justice system. The United States will continue to stand with all Kenyans as they strive to curb and punish corruption in Kenya,” he stated.
The Busia Senator was the Attorney General of Kenya between May 1991 to August 2011.
The designation was made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Div. F, P.L. 116-6), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (Div. A, P.L. 116-59).
Section 7031(c) provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that officials of foreign governments have been involved in significant corruption, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.
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