By CFS on Thu, 04/17/2025 - 11:06

Attiya Waris is an Associate Professor of Fiscal Law and Policy in Eastern and Central Africa. She served as the Deputy Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Director of Research and Enterprise at the University of Nairobi. She holds a PhD in Law and is a specialist in Fiscal Law, Policy and Development, is an advocate, company secretary and arbitrator of 20 years standing and was the founding Chair the Fiscal Studies Committee from 2017-2020. She spearheaded the first agreement on sharing of data between a University and a revenue agency globally in 2017.

She teaches at the Law School, University of Nairobi, Kenya, the Law School, University of Rwanda and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and has previously taught in Malaysia and the United Kingdom. She has researched and published on global, African, Asian, European as well as Latin American issues. Her book 'Tax and Development’ (2013) is the first publication globally that links the areas of tax and human rights and her more recent publication ‘Financing Africa’ is the first publication globally to map out African fiscal systems. She was a nominee in 2017 for the position of UN Special Rapporteur on Development and is an Observer to the UN Tax Committee.

She has a page on Wikipedia and her opinions have been featured in the Irish Times, BBC, Al Jazeera, Trouw, DutchNews, Nation TV, African Arguments, Standard News, Sierra Leone Telegraph, the Namibian, the Spider’s Web Documentary in English, French and Kiswahili. She has been invited to speak at some of the leading international, continental and regional organizations & universities as well as governments and national parliaments across the world.

Commitment to Financial Integrity and Anti Illicit Finance Practices

The Committee on Fiscal Studies is committed to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, illicit financial flows, money laundering, bribery, and related financial misconduct. All individuals associated with our work, whether as staff, interns, consultants, or partners are expected to uphold these principles without exception. We wish to make clear that our institution does not knowingly engage with or provide platforms to individuals involved in corrupt practices, fraudulent activities, or violations of financial integrity standards. We categorically dissociate ourselves from any such conduct. We implement enhanced due diligence protocols for all prospective team members, including comprehensive background screening and verification of professional conduct. These measures apply across all roles and engagement types. Our work in fiscal governance, tax policy, and public finance demands unwavering commitment to legitimacy and transparency. We take this responsibility to our stakeholders, the organisations we serve, and the broader development community with utmost seriousness.