Do we need to register with the Data Commissioner?

It depends on turnover, staff numbers and the nature of the processing. Some activities require registration regardless of size, including processing on a large scale, and processing health, financial or children’s data.

We had a data breach. What are the deadlines?

Notification to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is required without undue delay and within seventy-two hours where the breach presents a real risk to the rights of the people affected, with communication to those people where that risk is high.

Is a climate commitment legally binding?

A public statement can create exposure under consumer, securities and contract law even where no climate statute applies. Before a target is announced we look at what has been promised, to whom, and what evidence will support it.

Can IVIO Advocates act as our outsourced compliance function?

Yes. We take on fractional compliance management with a defined scope, a reporting line to the board, and an agreed monthly fee.

Should I sue or settle?

It depends on what you can prove, what the other side can pay, and what the delay costs you. We give you the merits and the recovery prospects separately.

Do we need a shareholders’ agreement if we have articles?

Usually yes. The articles govern the company; the shareholders’ agreement governs the relationship between the owners.

Is a handwritten will valid in Kenya?

A written will must be signed by the maker and attested by at least two competent witnesses who are not beneficiaries. Oral wills are recognised in narrow circumstances only.

How long does probate take?

An uncontested grant, with complete documents and a clear asset schedule, commonly takes several months including the statutory period before confirmation.

About the firm

A full-service Kenyan practice, built around two kinds of work.

IVIO Advocates LLP is a law firm registered in Kenya, with offices in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kabarnet. The traditional practice is the trunk: advisory work on data protection and climate compliance, dispute resolution, corporate and commercial advice, and estate and succession work. MZIZI, our innovation arm, is the newer growth from the same root — legal technology and advisory products for organisations that need compliance to work at scale.

We write in plain language because clients make better decisions when they understand the document in front of them. That is a house style, not a slogan: our agreements, advice notes and letters are drafted to be read once and understood.

The people

Founding & Managing Partner

Isaac Vincent Owino

Isaac founded the firm and leads Dispute Resolution and Litigation. He appears in civil and commercial matters and carries the traditional full-service practice, advising clients from the first demand letter through to judgment or settlement.

Partner

Margaret A. Odhiambo

Margaret leads the Advisory practice — data protection and climate compliance — and heads MZIZI, the firm’s innovation arm. She advises organisations on compliance programmes and reporting, and is the author of Data Protection in Kenya — The Law, the Cases, and the Compliance Playbook.

Three
consultants
across the
practice groups

Consultants

Carolyne Kerubo
David Kitenge
Sammy M. Irungu

Our consultants work across the practice groups, brought onto matters where their experience fits the file. They support transactional, advisory and contentious work alongside the partners.

In collaboration with RL & Partners Advocates

On some matters we work alongside RL & Partners Advocates, a separate firm. The collaboration widens the bench available to clients on larger files. RL & Partners is not part of IVIO Advocates LLP, and each firm remains responsible for its own advice.

Sectors we have worked in

Healthcare
Agri-business
Agri-fintech
Professional services
Food & technology
Medical devices
Humanitarian

Client names are confidential unless a client has agreed to be named.