By MN Reporter
As Migori county political environment is taking shape ahead of 2022, a maverick lawyer and a political kingmaker from Suna East constituency Gad Awuonda is a cog not to be ignored in county political wheels.
A quite, humble man with a sharp brain to match Awuonda has been a kingmaker often taking a back stage in pushing through political deals and changes both in county and national politics.
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“I grew up in Migori county and had my formative education years in Migori in several schools before getting a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree at University of Nairobi where I got second class upper division,” Awuonda told Migori News.
He hails from God Jope ward in Suna East constituency.
While Awuonda, vied for the Migori senate seat in last elections, in 2022 he is tight lipped on which seat he will bank on either as the next governor, Suna East legislator or even as a speaker.
“We are still setting sails as the political winds are blowing, we will seek the best beach to land on in 2022. What we know, and I have learned from the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga is that when you walk into a homestead you first throw a stone to see what comes out,” Awuonda says.
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His political king maker status has seen him being the brain behind several legal petition and documents for the ODM party, both in court corridors and negotiations.
“I have been privileged to be among lawyers who drafted the 2010 constitution which makes me have a grasp on devolution an tenets of law,” Awuonda says.
Perhaps this sharpness saw first Nairobi governor Evans Kidero to appoint him as his Attorney General and special advisor on economy and law.
A founder and senior partner at Legis Policy Associates, a policy and legal consultancy firm, Awuonda seen an impressive record and experience in public policy formulation across Africa, Middle East and Europe.
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He was Chevening Fellow at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom and a member of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya.
A commissioner of oath and an advocate of the High Court, the astute legal officer also boosts of a Master of Arts degree in International Studies on Diplomacy and International Studies at University of Nairobi under a Japanese Sasakawa Young Leaders Foundation scholarship;
“I have also attended the Royal Institute for Public Administration, London, U.K.-Post-graduate in Legislative Drafting under another scholarship by the British Government scholarship,” he says.
“I have a bias on devolution, made connection in and outside country. During my tenure as Nairobi attorney we had a steady legal administration ship unlike the current mess we see,” Awuonda narrates.
He says his biggest outline is working with 2010 Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review with other experts like Nzamba Kitonga, Njoki Ndung’u, Otiende Amollo and Ekuru Aukot.
Awuonda has helped draft other legislations, both in county and national government, and represented the country and organisation in regional and world forums.
