By James Okoth

The noose has tightened around Kisumu City Manager Michael Abala Wanga after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) ordered him to present himself immediately at the agency’s headquarters, Integrity Centre in Nairobi, for processing and arraignment over a string of corruption and forgery allegations.

In a letter dated November 13, 2025, the commission said it had received the green light from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to prefer multiple charges against Abala, who is accused of using forged academic certificates to fraudulently secure his position as City Manager.

According to EACC, the embattled city boss is also accused of abusing his office by using fake documents to facilitate the travel and payment of allowances for a female non-staff member, whom he allegedly passed off as a county employee during an official trip to Lagos, Nigeria between 8th and 12th July 2024. The trip, EACC says, was fully funded by the Kisumu County Government.

The anti-graft agency confirmed that Abala will face a raft of charges including:

1. Forgery contrary to Section 345 as read with Section 349 of the Penal Code;
2. Fraudulent acquisition of public property contrary to Section 45(1) as read with Section 48(1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2023;
3. Uttering false documents contrary to Section 353 as read with Section 349 of the Penal Code; and
4. Presentation of forged certificates contrary to Section 34(a) of the Kenya National Examination Council Act.

“The suspect has been directed to immediately present himself at EACC Headquarters, Integrity Centre, Nairobi, for processing and arraignment,” the Commission stated.

The unfolding scandal has sent shockwaves through the Kisumu County administration, coming at a time when the integrity of senior officers is under intense public scrutiny. Sources within City Hall say tension is high as EACC officers move in to seal evidence and prepare witness statements.

Abala, a long-serving political operative and one of the most visible faces of the Kisumu County administration, is now staring at career-shattering criminal charges that could end his public service run and trigger a leadership shake-up at the city’s top management.

As of press time, Abala had not issued any public statement regarding the allegations or confirmed whether he would honour the EACC summons.

By Sandra Blessing

A respected and leading Kenyan lawyer, Prof. Phoebe Okowa, has been elected to the International Law Commission (ILC).

In a communiqué dated 12 November 2025, addressed to the President of the General Assembly, Ms. Annalena Baerbock, from the President of the Security Council, Michael Imran Khan, read “I have the honour to inform you that, at the 10,040th meeting of the International Court of Justice to fill the seat that became vacant on 30 September 2025, Ms. Phoebe Okowa (Kenya) obtained an absolute majority of votes in the Security Council. Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurance of my highest consideration.”

Okowa was elected after four rounds of voting and will serve as one of the ICJ’s 15 judges until February 2027.

She became the first African lady to possess a seat at the International Law Commission, where she will serve for a considerable length of time beginning in 2023.

Prof. Okowa graduated top of her group with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, First Class Honours, from the University of Nairobi.

She has taught public international law, constitutional law, and private international law at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

The Commission was established in 1947 and is based in New York, USA. In its 72-year history, the Commission has had only seven women members out of a total membership of 229, with the first woman being elected in 2000.

Phoebe Okowa is Professor of Public International Law and was a Director of Graduate Studies at Queen Mary University of London. She previously taught Public International Law, Constitutional Law and Private International Law as a member of the Faculty of Law at the University of Bristol. She has held visiting appointments at the Universities of Lille, Helsinki, Stockholm and the WZB Berlin Social Science Centre for Global Constitutionalism and has lectured for the United Nations at its Regional Course on International Law for Africa.

In 2011 and 2015, she was Hauser Global Visiting Professor of Law at New York University, School of Law. An advocate of the High Court of Kenya, she has acted as counsel and consultant to governments and non-governmental organisations on questions of international law before domestic and international courts, including the International Court of Justice. In 2017, she was nominated as an arbiter to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

Okowa graduated at the top of her class with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with First Class Honours from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. She proceeded to the University of Oxford on a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Scholarship, obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL). She completed her doctoral thesis (D.Phil.) at Oxford under the supervision of the Chichele Professor of International Law, Ian Brownlie QC. Her monograph on State Responsibility for Transboundary Air Pollution, published by Oxford University Press, remains the definitive work on the legal challenges that environmental harm presents for traditional methods of accountability in international law. She has also co-edited Environmental Law and Justice in Context (with Jonas Ebbesson, CUP 2009).

Her work on the admissibility of claims in international adjudication has been cited with approval numerous times by domestic courts considering questions of international law. She is on the International Advisory Board of the Stockholm Centre for International Law and the Executive Committee of the International Society of Public Law (ICON-S).

Professor Okowa has generalist interests in international law. She has written on a wide range of contemporary international law topics, including the interface between state responsibility and individual accountability for international crimes, unilateral and collective responses to the protection of natural resources in conflict zones, and aspects of the protection of the environment.

She serves as Editor of the series Foundations of Public International Law (with Malcolm Evans, Oxford University Press) and is on the editorial board of the African Journal of International and Comparative Law, and was for ten years on the editorial board of the International Community Law Review.

Her articles have been published in the African Journal of International and Comparative Law, British Yearbook of International Law, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, and Current Legal Problems, among others.

Her current research explores the systemic problems of accountability involved in the use and exploitation of natural resources in conflict zones. It focuses on those conflicts where coherent and well-organised insurgencies present a credible challenge to governmental power and the state-centric structures of authority in international law. An offshoot of this project examines concession contracts in peace agreements and will be published in the Research Handbook on International Law and Environmental Peacebuilding (Edward Elgar, 2021).

The Commission’s job is to initiate studies and make suggestions to encourage the progressive development of international law and its codification.

By Hope Barbra

For eight years as Governor, Anne Waiguru is one of the few who have made devolution a reality, and Kirinyaga is a shining economic and investment hub.

While the country reels from the high poverty rate of 39.8 percent, Waiguru has presided over a drop from 23% to 21%, lifting over 52,000 households out of poverty.

In her 2025 State of the County address, Waiguru said hard work, planning, and partnerships have redefined Kirinyaga’s future.

“As I delivered the 2025 State of the County Address, I shared the remarkable progress that is turning our county into a thriving hub of opportunity and investment.”

Economic Transformation and Jobs

She said economic growth has consistently surpassed the national average, with Kirinyaga’s Gross County Product rising from KSh 114.9 billion in 2017 to KSh 190.79 billion in 2024, at an annual rate of 5.4 percent versus the national 4.9 percent.

“The Sagana Industrial City is attracting 60+ investors and will create 10,000 direct and 170,000 indirect jobs.

The upcoming CAIPS Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Export Processing Zone (EPZ) will further position Kirinyaga as a regional industrial hub, unlocking thousands of new opportunities for our youth and entrepreneurs.

Coffee earnings in Kirinyaga reached a record KSh 7.6 billion in 2024, with factories paying between KSh 100 and KSh 148 per kilogram of cherry. Gakuyu-Ini led with KSh 148 per kilo, followed by Gacami at KSh 145.10, the highest in the country,” she said.

Agriculture & Food Security

Waiguru said over 100,000 farmers have been empowered through Wezesha Kirinyaga, while rice production has more than doubled from 90,000 to 210,000 metric tons, generating KSh 15 billion for farmers.

“Kirinyaga leads Kenya in tomato production — 116,000 tons worth KSh 6.9 billion annually. Milk output grew from 2.5 to 7 litres per cow daily, generating KSh 3.1 billion.

Avocado and fish production also rose, bringing new income to local farmers,” she said.

Infrastructure & Urban Development

The Governor said over 7,000 km of roads have been graded and maintained, improving farm-to-market access.

She said 118,550 m² of cabro paving has been laid, giving towns a modern, clean look, while 800 acres of grabbed public land have been recovered, opening space for schools, hospitals, and housing.

“We have completed urban development plans for Kutus, Kerugoya, and Kagio,” she said.

Water & Sanitation

She said the county government has undertaken 200 water projects and implemented 75 boreholes, increasing access from 62% to 78% of households.

Health & Education

Waiguru said health facilities have expanded from 65 to 85, while maternal deaths have dropped from 88 to 55 per 100,000 births; skilled birth attendance rose to 92 percent.

“We have 854 Community Health Promoters deployed across all wards, while the new Kerugoya Level 5 Hospital has revolutionized healthcare access, offering specialized services and reducing referrals outside the county,” she said.

The Governor said they have disbursed KSh 540.7 million in bursaries, with an additional KSh 100 million allocated in this year’s budget to support more needy students across the county.

“We have constructed over 40 ECDE classrooms and 12 vocational training centres or upgraded them, equipping youth with technical and entrepreneurial skills,” she said.

Environment & Clean Energy

Waiguru said her administration has presided over the planting of 8.2 million trees, raising tree cover from 18.5% to 30.4 percent, while 7,000 households have been equipped with LPG kits under FLLoCA, promoting clean energy.

Youth, Gender & Sports

Currently, Kaitheri Apparel Factory employs women and youth, creating opportunities locally, while the Minji Football Tournament now engages thousands across all wards.

Digital Transformation & Governance

She said all county operations have been digitized, improving health services, revenue collection, licensing, project monitoring, recruitment, and overall efficiency and transparency in service delivery.

“We have witnessed revenue increase from KSh 344 million in 2017 to KSh 852 million in 2024 through Kiripay, sealing leakages and improving accountability.

What we’ve achieved is more than progress — it’s a blueprint for rural transformation. Kirinyaga is now a county that attracts investment, supports enterprise, and inspires possibility for generations to come,” she said.