The name Otiende Amollo conjures the ecstasy –and disappointment in almost equal measure-that followed the annulment of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win in the August 8 presidential polls. Pro opposition bloggers went on overdrive with articles titled ‘Top Ten Best Lawyers In Kenya’ that featured the name of the senior counsel prominently. Representing NASA leader Raila Odinga and his deputy Kalonzo Musyoka in the petition, Amollo stole the thunder with his looks, arguments and mode of delivery in court. And the ladies christened him Otiende-bae.
In a candid interview appearing on the Standard (May 29, 2018), Otiende shared what inspired him to join the legal field. The grey haired Raireda constituency MP recounted how they were thrown out of their house following a row between their father and Maseno University administration where he worked as a labourer. According to Otiende, his late father had questioned the institution decision to sack his colleague only for the same fate to befall him.
This- coupled with the inspiration he drew from reading newspaper reports and watching TV, motivated him to study law as he felt he “needed to right a lot of wrongs, and a part of this came from what I’d seen my father go through”.
Asked about his biggest fears by Yvonne Aoll, the lawyer responded: “I don’t think I fear much. And even death, I don’t fear death itself, but what terrifies me is the idea of one day being put in a box, having it shut, and then slowly being put to the ground, forever. That concept is disturbing to me. Very disturbing.”
Dropping out of school
Amollo Otiend wanted to be a fisherman and even dropped out of primary school briefly to pursue that dream. His reasoning was that even if he completed his studies he wouldn’t be able to further his studies. It took the persuasion of his aunt for him to enroll back in primary school.
Position held by Hon Dr Otiende Amollo
Nine member committee of experts who drafted and delivered the 2010 constitution of Kenya
Chair of the International Jurists (Kenya-section)
Chair of Action Aid International-Kenya
Secretary General of the East African Law Society
Council Member of the Law Society of Kenya
Commendations
Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) of the Republic of Kenya
Chairperson of the Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman)-2011 to 2017
Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths and a Certified Public Secretary
Education
LL.B (Hons) degree from the University of Nairobi
LL.M (Hons, Public Law) Degree University of Nairobi
Certificate in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law-Lund University
Diploma-Kenya School of Law
Professional Association and Membership
Member of Parliament, Rarieda Constituency (From 2017)
Member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK)
Member of the International Commission of Jurists (Kenya Chapter)
Member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA)
Member Of The International Bar Association (IBA)
Member of the East African law Society. (EALS)
Member of the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV/AIDS (KELIN)
Founder Member of the Law Forum (University of Nairobi)
Founder Member of the Steering Committee of the All African Human Rights Pressure Group (AAHR & G)
Rarieda MP
The first term MP is working on uplifting the people of Rarieda economically. In the same interview, Otiende said he was encouraging his constituents to grow trees, the growing and processing of cotton and engage in tourism related investment opportunities.
His pet project ‘ondoa Nyasi’ has become a talking point on social media. The project targets widows who are shunned by the community and involves taking down grass thatched houses and replacing them with iron sheet. Otiende finances this project using his own money.
Fallout With ODM
The straight shooting MP views on Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) have been at cross-roads with those of ODM. He was removed from the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) of the National Assembly for questioning the creation of 70 new constituencies in the proposed Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020.
Net Worth of Amollo Otiende
The Rarieda MP admitted he has invested in land, properties and shares at his law firm.
He put his networth at between Kes100 million-kes200 million.
