Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga fails to appear in court over illness

Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga on Friday failed to appear in court for plea-taking for a second time, with his lawyers informing the court that he was unwell and hospitalised in Kisumu.

Wanga was expected at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court before Principal Magistrate Selesa Okore to take a plea in a case involving multiple counts of forgery and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.

His absence stalled the proceedings yet again after the matter was deferred on December 19, 2025, after the defence requested a review of the charges by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Through his advocate, the city manager told the court that he fell ill on February 3 and was admitted to the hospital, with a medical report presented to back the claim. Prosecutors did not immediately contest the illness but sought time to verify the authenticity of the documents.

The DPP approved the charges in November 2025 following investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

Wanga is accused of fraudulently obtaining about Ksh.8.7 million in salaries and allowances from the Kisumu County Government after allegedly using forged academic and clearance documents to secure his appointment as City Manager.

According to the EACC, Wanga presented a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate indicating a C+ grade, while records from the Kenya National Examinations Council showed he attained a D+. Investigators further allege that he altered his name and grades to meet university entry requirements.

The anti-graft agency also claims Wanga forged a Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) certificate, a police clearance certificate and a self-declaration form.

In the self-declaration, he is said to have indicated that he had no criminal record, despite having previously been convicted of fraud at the Kiambu Law Courts.

In a separate set of allegations, the city manager is accused of tampering with an official invitation letter for a CLEAN Air Forum in Lagos, Nigeria, to irregularly claim allowances amounting to about Ksh.280,000.

The prosecution says the altered document was also used to facilitate the travel of Conslate Achieng, who was not an employee of the Kisumu County Government, to the same forum.

Wanga now faces several counts arising from the Nigeria trip, including forgery, uttering a false document and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

During Friday’s session, the EACC asked the court for two weeks to verify the medical documents presented by the defence. Wanga’s lawyers, on their part, requested a four-week adjournment to allow him time to recover and present himself in court.

Magistrate Okore allowed both requests, extended Wanga’s pre-bail bond terms and directed that the matter be mentioned on March 2, 2026, for further directions.