Fake lawyer busted in Kenya

Kenyan authorities have detained a man, Brian Mwenda, who masqueraded as a legal practitioner in the high court of Kenya.

In a surprising turn of events, Mwenda managed to present cases before High Court Judges, Magistrates, and Court of Appeal Judges. However, his charade was short-lived as he was apprehended.

Initial investigations indicate that this impostor employed a prevalent international fraud tactic known as Business Email Compromise (BEC).

Operating under this deceptive strategy, Brian Mwenda capitalized on the inactivity of a legitimate advocate's status. He initiated correspondence with the secretariat, feigning an application for payment of his Practicing Certificate (PC). Regrettably, due to incorrect email credentials, his initial application faced rejection.

Nonetheless, Mwenda successfully gained unauthorized entry to the account and promptly took control of the portal. In an attempt to conceal his true identity, he altered his profile picture and workplace particulars.

Furthermore, he submitted an application for a practising certificate and even executed the corresponding payment. Unfortunately for Mwenda, his application was stalled, as he was mandated to furnish specific documents, including a certificate of business incorporation. This additional layer of security proved pivotal, and without the requisite documentation, the application languished.

Brian Mwenda's subterfuge unravelled when the Law Society of Kenya’s (LSK) Nairobi Branch received grievances from the public. Swiftly, the Nairobi Branch sprang into action, emphatically stating that Mwenda was not a bona fide advocate. They asserted that he lacked the essential license to practice law in Kenya.