Hon. Justice Edward Karoph Wabwoto

Hon. Justice Edward Wabwoto

Hon. Justice Edward Karoph Wabwoto is a Judge of the Environment and Land Court (ELC) of Kenya, currently presiding at the Nakuru station following earlier postings in Nairobi and Machakos. Appointed to the bench in June 2021, he brought with him more than 15 years of distinguished legal experience, including a notable tenure as Senior Legal Officer at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). Justice Wabwoto is widely recognised for his jurisprudential leadership in environmental governance, climate justice, land restoration, and public-interest litigation. On the bench, he has issued precedent-setting rulings requiring counties to restore riparian land, compelling climate-risk disclosure in environmental-impact assessments and awarding communities damages in cases involving illegal quarrying and natural-resource degradation. In 2024, he was appointed Rapporteur of the Judiciary’s Green Bench Book Committee, tasked with aligning Kenyan jurisprudence with global climate norms, including the Paris Agreement. Beyond his judicial role, Justice Wabwoto remains deeply engaged in national and international policy processes. He co-drafted Kenya’s Climate Change Act (2016) and continues to advise the Ministry of Environment on carbon-market regulations. He has represented Kenya at UNFCCC negotiations since 2019, most recently serving as Co-Chair of the Loss-and-Damage negotiations at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Earlier in his career, he practised law at Omondi, Waweru & Co. Advocates in Mombasa and worked extensively on constitutional, civil, public law, and environmental litigation. He has served on several committees of the Law Society of Kenya, including the Environmental & Natural Resources Committee and the Constitutional Reform Committee. Justice Wabwoto holds an LL.B. from Moi University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and a Certificate in Legislative Drafting. He is a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the East Africa Law Society. Named among Business Daily’s Top 40 Under 40 Men (2022), he is also committed to mentorship and legal education. He mentors young lawyers through the Public Interest Environmental Law Clinic and serves as a part-time lecturer at Strathmore Law School.