Legal team size: 10 people

What country you are based in? Kenya

He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public, registered Certified Public Secretary, Fellow of the Institute of Certified Secretaries Kenya, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK & Kenya Branch), an Accredited Governance Auditor, member of the Law Society of Kenya, the International Bar Association, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the Kenya Institute of Management.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) and Master of Laws (LLM) in Public Finance & Financial Services Law from the University of Nairobi, Master of the Science of Law (JSM) from Stanford University Law School, California, USA. Mr. Ouko holds a Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, Practice Diploma in International Commercial Law from the College of Law of England & Wales, Postgraduate Diploma in Domestic Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Advanced Diploma in Business Administration and a Diploma in Management of Information Systems.

In his role, Austin serves as lead legal advisor, providing governance an advisory guidance to KenGen which is fast emerging as a continental energy powerhouse. Under his leadership, his teams have been at the forefront of significant legal and governance milestones including: structuring the contractual frameworks that have seen KenGen develop the world’s first 100% green industrial park; provision of the legal foundation for KenGen’s continental geothermal expansion into other African states including Tanzania, Eswatini, Djibouti and Ethiopia; and revamping the business’s governance structures to set the foundations for global partnerships focused on green finance and renewable energy development. As a General Counsel in Africa’s fast growing energy sector, one is expected to serve as a focal point between the regulatory environment, stakeholders, partnerships, governance and compliance; a standard which Austin in his daily role continues to exemplify.

Before transitioning to the energy sector, Austin occupied a similar General Counsel function at Kenya’s National Social Security Fund. During this period, Austin emerged as a distinguished legal strategist whose leadership was pivotal in aligning complex legal frameworks with the Fund’s mandate to protect and grow social security assets. A master of institutional risk management, compliance architecture, and public procurement law, Austin led the legal team through high-stakes statutory reforms, directly contributing to the revamping of the National Social Security Fund Act in 2022, which saw the legislation align with global standards and the national strategy. Austin equally led the Fund’s success in landmark litigations, and multi-billion-shilling transactions with precision and foresight. His expertise in governance, fiduciary responsibility, and regulatory interpretation fortified the Fund’s operational integrity while ensuring legal resilience in a rapidly evolving statutory environment.

Across both public and corporate spheres, Austin has consistently demonstrated exceptional judgment, strategic foresight, and a results-oriented legal approach. His ability to deliver transformative outcomes at the intersection of law, policy, and enterprise makes him an exemplary honoree on the Legal 500 GC Power list; a fitting recognition of his enduring impact on Kenya’s legal and corporate governance landscape.