Never ending government scandals and legal issues have treated us to the prowess of some of the most decorated and respected lawyers in Kenya. These lawyers have made a name for themselves as near sure bets to win a legal dispute every time they are called upon.
In this instance, Dr Muthomi Thiankolu, a Partner at Muthomi & Karanja Advocates and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi Faculty of Law is among the few lawyers anticipated on every big legal lineup.
Dr Thiankolu is is the lead defence counsel in the impeachment case against Agriculture and Livestock Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi.
Background & Education
Dr Muthomi Thiankolu holds a PhD in law from the University of Nairobi. He also has an LLM in International Economic Law (with distinction) from the University of Warwick, a Postgraduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law and an LLB (Hons.) from the University of Nairobi.
The seasoned lawyer attained his PhD during the Covid-19 pandemic. On July 21, 2020, he successfully presented his thesis to the Board of Examiners panel chaired by School of Law Dean, Prof. Kiarie Mwaura.
After weeks and months preparing for the most important day of his academic career, Thiankolu defended his research before a virtual panel of six examiners including Prof. Albert Mumma, Prof. Elias Ayiemba, Dr. Ken Obura, Dr. Kariuki Muigua and Dr. Seth Wekesa.
“I was excited and confident,” Thiankolu said.
“I knew it was the first time a student from the School of Law was defending a PhD virtually but I did not imagine it would be any different from a face-to-face one.”
Defending his research in the midst of a pandemic is not something Thiankolu anticipated to cap off his PhD studies. But he is still relived that he was able to successfully defend his PhD.
“The fact that we were able to seamlessly do it online shows that the University of Nairobi is adaptive to emerging challenges and realities.”
His professional interests are dispute resolution, public procurement law, constitutional law, administrative law, pensions law, and international economic law. He is an accomplished legal practitioner, consultant and academic.
Career
Dr Muthomi Thiankolu was a partner at Mohammed Muigai Advocates between 2007 and 2012. He is currently a name partner at Muthomi and Karanja Advocates.
Over the course of his career, Thiankolu has been part of some of the most important cases most notably, a lawyer of the Kenya Kwanza Coalition in the aftermath of the 2022 General Elections. He was part of the team that defended President William Ruto’s win.
He has since been appointed to various roles, most recent, as co-secretary in the Kenya Kwana – Azimio La Umoja One Kenya bi-partisan talks.
Thiankolu has appeared at the East African Court of Justice, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kenya, all other superior courts of the Republic of Kenya, the Senate of the Republic of Kenya and many specialised courts and tribunals.
He has also provided legal advisory and consultancy services to (among others) the World Bank Group, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the German International Cooperation Organisation (GiZ), and the Judicial Service Commission of Kenya.
Others are the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Kenya), the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY).
