This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
On November 19, 2019, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced that former Attorney-General Amos Wako and his family would be barred from entering the US due to alleged corruption involvement.
According to Pompeo, Wako's actions were deemed 'significant corruption' under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2019.
Wako, a current member of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) advisory task force, was elected as an ODM senator in the 2017 General Election.
Along with Wako, his wife Flora Ngaira and son Julius Wako were also affected by the ban.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated that the action would send a strong signal that the United States is a valuable partner in Kenya's fight against corruption.
He emphasized that 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.
Wako's ban is a significant development in Kenya's fight against corruption, and it highlights the US's commitment to supporting Kenya's efforts to curb and punish corruption.
