LSK Invites DCI to Launch Manhunt for Fake Lawyer Brian Mwenda
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) agents have launched a manhunt for a university student who has been practicing law without a license and using an attorney’s credentials without authorization.
In a statement released on Friday, the president of the Law Society of Kenya, Eric Theuri, revealed that he forwarded the matter to the DCI after holding a crisis meeting to discuss the identity theft case, which threatens the legal practice in Kenya.
According to the LSK, the suspect posed as Brian Mwenda, a Nairobi-based attorney, and defrauded naive clients.
The imposter continued to practice until the actual attorney, Brian Mwenda, reported to the Secretariat that he was unable to access his LSK portal.
Mwenda was admitted to the bar in August 2022, but he did not apply for a Practising Certificate because he worked in the Attorney General’s Office.
The ICT staff at the Secretariat noted that he had been barred from the system because another individual had assumed his identity and impersonated Brian Mwenda in court.
Investigations by the ICT department revealed that the imposter, who also identified himself as Brian Mwenda, was inactive but had contacted the secretariat to register for and pay for a certificate.
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The LSK administrator stated that the imposter took complete control of the legitimate advocate’s account, altered his profile photo and workplace, and paid for the certificate.
However, his application was not processed because he was required to submit documents, including a certificate of business incorporation – a security measure implemented by LSK to verify an applicant’s application.
We wish to reiterate that our portal was not compromised, and members’ data remain safe and protected,” Theuri assured concerned LSK members.
“The LSK has commissioned an immediate review of the established protocols on change of membership credentials to enhance the internal approval mechanisms.”
Several public figures, including the secretary of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya), Francis Atwoli, have defended the impostor in the wake of the scandal, urging LSK to give him a fair opportunity to demonstrate his legal knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Atwoli also requested that the Kenyan government recognize Prior Learning (RPL) to capitalize on latent talent that can propel the nation forward. RPL recognizes and values the knowledge, skills, and competencies attained via non-traditional learning pathways.
LSK Invites DCI to Launch Manhunt for Fake Lawyer Brian Mwenda
