By Jabali Digital
Kisumu City Manager Michael Abala Wanga did not show up at Nairobi’s Milimani Anti-Corruption court on Friday, further delaying plea-taking in his fight against forgery and fraudulent acquisition of public funds allegations.
As such, the case failed to proceed for the second time, after he first failed to appear for plea-taking on December 19, 2025.
His lawyer informed Milimani Anti-Corruption Court before Principal Magistrate Selesa Okore that the embattled Kisumu City boss fell ill on February 3, 2026, and was admitted to a hospital in Kisumu. A medical report was presented to support the claim.
In November 2025, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) approved multiple charges against Wanga in November 2025, including forgery and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.
Wanga who replaced Doris Ombara as Kisumu City Manager in 2020 is accused of fraudulently acquiring Sh8.7 million in emoluments from the Kisumu County Government while allegedly using a forged Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) to secure his employment as City Manager.
According to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Wanga who harbours ambitions of being elected Gem Member of Parliament (MP)A forged a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificate indicating that he got a mean grade of C plus.
However, C+, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) confirmed his actual score was a D plus. He also allegedly falsified his name and altered grades to meet university admission requirements.
Additionally, Abala Wanga is accused of forging a Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) certificate, a self-declaration form, and a police clearance certificate.
In the self-declaration dorm, he reportedly stated that he had no criminal record, despite having been previously convicted for fraud in the Kiambu.
Separately, Wanga is said to have altered an official invitation letter for a forum in Nigeria to claim an allowance of Sh280,402 and also fraudulently facilitated one woman who was not an employee of the Kisumu County government to attend the same forum.
He faces three counts relating to forgery, uttering of a false document, and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
The City Manager has previously challenged the allegations through lawyer, Steve Ogola.
During the Friday hearing, EACC requested two weeks to verify the documents, while the defence lawyer sought a four-week adjournment to allow the City Manager time to recover.
The court approved the requests, extended his pre-bail bond conditions, and scheduled the matter for mention on March 2, 2026, for further directions.
