Joseph Kipchumba Kigen Katwa, commonly known in professional and media contexts as Katwa Kigen, is a Kenyan senior lawyer and jurist whose legal career has been marked by high‑profile litigation and recent elevation to the appellate judiciary. In January 2026, he was formally appointed as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Kenya by President William Ruto, under the powers vested in the presidency by Article 166 of the Constitution of Kenya. This appointment was published in the Kenya Gazette on 27 January 2026, naming him among the judges elevated to Kenya’s intermediate appellate court, where he is responsible for hearing appeals from the High Court and specialised tribunals. In March, he was nominated as a judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya, with interviews to follow in early April.

Before his judicial appointment, Katwa Kigen was widely recognised as one of Kenya’s leading litigators and advocates. He practiced primarily through Katwa & Kemboy Advocates. At this Nairobi law firm, he was a partner. He handled a broad spectrum of legal work, including civil and criminal litigation, commercial disputes, constitutional cases, arbitration, and international law matters. His practice regularly took him before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court of Kenya, and international tribunals, underscoring his reach across multiple legal jurisdictions.

Katwa Kigen first gained national and international prominence during Kenya’s post‑election crisis litigation when he was part of the legal team defending William Ruto and Joshua Sang at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The charges related to alleged crimes against humanity in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 post‑election violence. The defence strategy, which included challenging the ICC’s jurisdiction and advocating for local adjudication, contributed to the eventual withdrawal of the case in April 2016.

His reputation as a litigator was further strengthened by his role in several high-profile domestic defence cases. These included representing former TV journalist Jacque Maribe in a murder trial, where she was acquitted after the court found the prosecution’s evidence insufficient. He also defended former Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich in major corruption cases that were ultimately dismissed due to gaps in the evidence.

In December 2025, Katwa Kigen was conferred the rank of Senior Counsel, a distinction awarded to advocates in Kenya who have demonstrated exceptional legal expertise, professional integrity, and contributions to the development of law. This title recognises a high level of experience and peer respect within the legal profession.

Educationally, Katwa Kigen holds both a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Honours and a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Nairobi, and he also completed a Post‑Graduate Diploma at the Kenya School of Law, which is a professional requirement for admission to the Kenyan Bar. He was admitted to the Bar as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya in 1996, marking the start of his legal practice.