By Guest Writer
On 26 November 2025, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) sent its Principal Legal Officer and Vice Chair of the EALS Young Lawyers Committee, Ms. Brownie Ebal, to the 30th East Africa Law Society (EALS) Annual Conference and the 2025 In‑House Counsel Forum at Skylight Hotel.
The event gathered over a thousand judges, policymakers, lawyers, and corporate counsel from across East Africa to celebrate three decades of rule‑of‑law advocacy and regional integration.
The conference, themed “EALS @30: Three Decades of Promoting Rule of Law, Regional Integration, and the Legal Profession in East Africa,” opened with a powerful welcome note from EALS President Ramadhan Abubakar, PALU President Tewodros Getachew, and other dignitaries.
Keynote addresses by Prof. Luis G. Franceschi of Strathmore Law School and Mr. Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of Safaricom PLC Ethiopia, underscored the need for law to drive innovation, investment, and sustainable development.
NWSC’s attendance ensured the corporation stayed aligned with emerging regional legal and regulatory standards affecting public utilities.
By benchmarking its governance, compliance, and ESG frameworks against peers, NWSC reinforced its commitment to transparency, accountability, and robust risk management critical for massive infrastructure projects and water‑sector regulation.
The In‑House Counsel Forum and accompanying Masterclass were the focal points of Day One. Sessions delved into the evolving role of corporate legal departments, the pressures of digital regulatory landscapes, and strategies for effective risk management across public and private institutions.
Speakers highlighted how in‑house counsel must transition from traditional compliance guardians to strategic business partners, offering forward‑looking advice on contracts, ESG integration, and data‑privacy safeguards.
Ms. Ebal’s active participation allowed her to extract practical tools for improving NWSC’s contract administration, sharpening internal advisory services, and tightening compliance mechanisms. The insights gained are expected to cascade into clearer procurement processes, more resilient service agreements, and an overall reduction in legal exposure for the corporation.
The opening ceremony celebrated EALS’s 30‑year legacy as a lighthouse for justice, governance, and regional integration. Dignitaries praised Addis Ababa’s symbolic role as a hub of heritage and unity, urging the legal community to champion innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable development.
The speeches reinforced the importance of institutions like NWSC in upholding accountability and delivering public services that meet international standards, especially in the water and sanitation sector where regulatory compliance directly impacts service reliability and community health.
Through dedicated sessions on risk identification and mitigation, NWSC acquired new methodologies to anticipate and neutralize legal hazards tied to land acquisition, infrastructure financing, and complex procurement contracts.
These approaches will be integrated into the corporation’s risk matrix, enabling quicker response to contractual disputes and safeguarding the organization against costly litigation.
By visibly aligning with a high‑profile regional forum, NWSC signaled its leadership in public‑sector governance. The presence of its senior legal officer at an event attended by multinational corporate counsel and regulators bolsters the corporation’s image as a transparent, accountable, and professionally run utility, which in turn enhances stakeholder confidence.
The conference offered deep dives into digital compliance systems, cross‑border legal frameworks, and emerging water‑sector regulations.
NWSC walked away with actionable knowledge on adopting technology‑driven compliance platforms, harmonizing its operations with East African Community standards, and aligning its ESG initiatives with global sustainability benchmarks. These learnings are set to inform upcoming operational reforms and service‑delivery improvements.
Ms. Ebal engaged with peers from water utilities across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, as well as with regulators, infrastructure experts, and senior in‑house counsel from multinational firms. These connections open pathways for future collaborations, joint research on water governance, and shared solutions for challenges such as tariff regulation, climate resilience, and asset management.
Ms. Brownie Ebal’s participation delivered tangible value sharper governance, stronger compliance, and a clearer roadmap for integrating regional best practices into NWSC’s operations. The Corporation reaffirms its pledge to uphold the rule of law, enhance accountability, and deliver reliable water services, cementing its role as a trusted, progressive public utility across East Africa. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
