By Guest Writer
The Ethiopian Skylight Hotel buzzed with legal minds from across East Africa for the two‑day EALS Annual Conference from 27-28 November 2025. Representing the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Ms. Brownie Ebal, Principal Legal Officer (Legal Advisory Section), led the delegation, soaking in insights from the Young Lawyers Forum, Women Lawyers Conference, Rule of Law Strand, and a series of breakout sessions that wrapped up at the African Union Headquarters. The event proved a goldmine for NWSC’s governance, compliance, and sustainability agenda.
The forum highlighted mentorship frameworks, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) integration, and the future of legal tech—crucial for a public utility navigating digital contracts and sustainability goals.
NWSC walked away with a blueprint for a structured mentorship program, ideas for digitizing property and contract systems, and a renewed ESG commitment that aligns with its environmental responsibility mandate. “It boosts our agility and succession planning,” Ms. Ebal noted.
Panels on women’s leadership and gender‑sensitive legislation reinforced NWSC’s inclusion strategy. The corporation is set to embed gender responsive policies in HR, community engagement, and CSR projects, while adopting hybrid leadership models that fit its multi‑branch network. “The insights will shape how we develop women in technical and senior roles,” Ebal added.
Discussions on civic space, accountability, constitutionalism, and emergency laws reminded participants that robust rule‑of‑law frameworks underpin every public utility operation. For NWSC, this translates to stronger risk management in land disputes, environmental compliance, and politically sensitive regulatory interactions.
This session proved the necessity for NWSC lawyers to operate independently and ethically, free from interference, even in high‑pressure environments.
Strengthening professional independence supports the corporation’s commitment to integrity, accountable decision‑making, and safeguarding the rule of law within its service delivery chain.
The newly unveiled pro bono framework offers NWSC a structured pathway to expand its community legal aid efforts through NWSC Legal Aid Clinics. By aligning CSR initiatives with regional standards on access to justice, the corporation can deepen its social impact and reinforce its role as a responsible public utility.
Engaging with the continent’s reparations discourse provided valuable context for NWSC on handling historical land claims and community rights issues.
Understanding these emerging legal narratives equips the legal department to better advise on potential liabilities and stakeholder engagements linked to land acquisition and environmental stewardship.
Insights from this session are directly relevant to staff welfare and dispute resolution mechanisms within NWSC. Familiarity with cross‑border family law nuances helps the corporation navigate employee relocations, benefits coordination, and dispute settlement in a manner that respects both local and international standards.
Deepening knowledge of the Malabo Protocol and other AU legal frameworks enhances NWSC’s understanding of regional cooperation obligations. This awareness is vital for aligning corporate policies with continental directives, thereby mitigating compliance risks across borders.
The conference wrapped up at the African Union Headquarters with the adoption of declarations and a pledge for regional cooperation. NWSC’s presence positioned the corporation within continental governance dialogues, strengthening its alignment with AU frameworks on institutional reform and accountability.
Through Ms. Brownie Ebal’s engagement, NWSC harvested a wealth of insights from ESG and gender inclusion to legal risk resilience and regional networking. The takeaways promise tighter governance, sharper compliance tools, and a stronger voice in East Africa’s evolving legal landscape, all while keeping the water and sanitation services flowing for millions. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
