Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have initiated a search for a university student who has been practicing law without a proper license and using an advocate’s credentials unlawfully.
On Friday, the President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Eric Theuri, released a statement stating that he has referred the case to the DCI. This decision followed a crisis meeting held to address the issue of identity theft, which poses a threat to the legal profession in the country.
As per the LSK, the individual in question pretended to be a lawyer named Brian Mwenda, operating in Nairobi, and engaged in fraudulent activities that victimized unsuspecting clients.
The imposter continued his unauthorized legal activities until the actual advocate, Brian Mwenda, reported the issue to the LSK Secretariat, expressing his inability to access his LSK portal.
Brian Mwenda was officially admitted to the bar in August 2022 but had not yet applied for a Practicing Certificate, as he was employed at the Office of the Attorney General.
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) personnel at the LSK Secretariat noticed that Brian Mwenda was locked out of the system, as someone else had assumed his identity and represented himself as Brian Mwenda in court.
Upon investigating the ICT department’s findings, it became apparent that the imposter, who also identified as Brian Mwenda, was inactive on the system. Nevertheless, he had contacted the secretariat in an attempt to apply for and pay for a certificate.
The LSK President explained that the imposter had taken control of the real advocate’s account by altering the profile picture and workplace details, and making a payment for the certificate. However, his application was not approved since he failed to submit necessary documents, such as the certificate of business incorporation. This requirement served as an additional security measure introduced by LSK to verify an individual’s application.
“The security of our portal was not compromised, and our members’ data remains secure and protected,” reassured Theuri, addressing concerns of LSK members. He also stated, “LSK has initiated an immediate review of the established protocols concerning changes to membership credentials to enhance the internal approval processes.”
In the wake of this revelation, several public figures have come forward to support the imposter, including Francis Atwoli, Secretary of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya). Atwoli called upon LSK to provide a fair opportunity for assessing the imposter’s knowledge, skills, and competencies in law.
Additionally, Atwoli urged the government to consider recognizing Prior Learning (RPL) in Kenya, which could tap into undiscovered talents capable of advancing the nation. RPL acknowledges and values the knowledge, skills, and competencies individuals acquire through non-traditional learning paths.
