Tom Abuta is the Head of Legal team in the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning

Mr. Abuta read in Panjab University, India where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) degree in 1994. Thereafter he joined South Gujarat University, Surat, India where he read law and graduated in 1997 with a bachelor of laws degree. Thereafter, he joined Kenya School of Law and graduated with a diploma in law in 2001 to pave way to his admission to the bar and an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, in 2001. 

Prior to joining Government as a Senior State Counsel in 2008, he actively engaged in private practice as a litigation counsel and associate and later as a sole practitioner in his law firm where he practiced in the name and style of Abuta & Company Advocates in Kisumu. 

Between 2008 and 2014, he served as the Head of Legal Services at the then Ministry of Co-operatives Development and Marketing before moving to the Ministry of Lands in 2014 where he has remained and worked and currently serving as Head, Legal Unit. His current designation is Deputy Chief State Counsel. 

In the course of his duty, he has diligently served in the public sector where he has handled various tasks that have immensely contributed in many areas including review and formulation of policies together with legislation of various statutes and Regulations. 

He has also served as an alternate Director in the board of ICT Authority and a member of the Board of Management of Ikoba Secondary School among other roles he has taken at community level. 

Some of the qualifications he has attained in the course of public duty include— 

• Senior Management course offered by Kenya Institute of Administration-September, 2011.
• Strategic Leadership Development Programme at the Kenya School of Government and qualified in November, 2015
• Strategic leadership and change and leadership skills offered by the Maastricht School of Management in January 2016.