Brian Mwenda, a man impersonating a lawyer in Kenya, has been arrested after reportedly winning 26 cases in various Kenyan courts. He was accused of masquerading as a lawyer, and it was discovered that he had stolen the identity of a real lawyer named Brian Mwenda Ntwiga.
The “fake lawyer” managed to win all 26 of his cases in court, despite not having any legal training. The real Brian Mwenda Ntwiga became aware of the situation when he couldn’t access his account and noticed that some details had been altered.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) issued a statement, stating that the “real” Brian Mwenda Ntwiga had been admitted to the Bar on August 5, 2022, and his correct email address was recorded, creating an account for him in the Advocates portal. However, he had not applied for a practicing certificate since his admission because he had been working at the Office of the Attorney General, where a practicing certificate was not required.
It was only in September 2023 that he attempted to log in and activate his profile to apply for his practicing certificate, but he realized he couldn’t access his LSK Portal at that time.’
Despite facing criticism from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions, the alleged imposter has found support from various quarters.
Kenya’s Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) has lauded him as a “brilliant young mind” who managed to succeed “without traditional qualifications.”
In addition to COTU’s support, he has also received backing from Mike Sonko, the controversial former governor of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.