The Anti-Corruption Court is on Wednesday expected to deliver a ruling on whether Kisumu County City Manager Michael Abala Wanga will be required to take a plea on multiple corruption-related charges.
Senior Resident Magistrate Harrison Barasa is scheduled to issue the ruling at 10 a.m.
Through his lawyer, Steve Ogola Abala asked the court to defer plea taking to allow the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) time to respond to a letter seeking a review of the charges.
Ogola further argued that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had not complied with earlier orders issued by Magistrate Okore in September 2025, which directed investigators to record a statement from the accused.
“We are applying that the EACC comply with the court order requiring recording of statements from the accused. The orders issued by Hon. Okore have not been set aside,” Ogola told the court.
He requested the court to adjourn the matter to allow the ODPP to respond to the defense letter and for the EACC to fully comply with the outstanding orders. He also urged the court to extend the existing release terms granted by Magistrate Okore, which set bond at Ksh 500,000, until Wanga is formally required to take a plea.
In response, the EACC maintained it had complied with all court directives and only sought a one-week adjournment for plea taking.
“There are two orders that were issued by this court, and we have complied with both the amendment of the charge sheet, and the requirement that the accused be processed and record a statement,” the EACC submitted.
Wanga is expected to face multiple counts of forgery, alteration of official documents, and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.
According to the ODPP, the City Manager allegedly forged and tampered with several documents, including a letter dated June 10, 2024, purportedly inviting him to the Clean Air Forum in Lagos, Nigeria. The altered letter was allegedly used to obtain excess facilitation payments from the Kisumu County Government.
On June 19, 2024, he is accused of presenting the forged invitation letter said to be from the University of Lagos to unlawfully secure Ksh 283,402.50.
The charge sheet also lists a broader financial misconduct allegation, claiming Wanga fraudulently acquired Ksh 8,701,091 in public funds.
Additionally, he is accused of forging a KCSE certificate purportedly issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and presenting it as genuine.
