Authorities arrest a fake attorney who won 26 cases in Kenya

According to reports, Brian Mwenda believes his accomplishments make him a “genius.”

After winning numerous cases, a student who was impersonating a High Court attorney was taken into custody in Kenya. Despite being exposed as a phoney, the man reportedly insisted on being allowed into the bar.

Brian Mwenda “argued 26 cases before High Court Judges, Magistrates, and Court of Appeal Judges,” the Facts East Africa social media page stated on Thursday, adding that he won all 26 cases. Brian Mwenda’s most recent arrest was for these 26 cases.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) stated on Friday that Mwenda registered himself as a member of the bar using the information belonging to a real counsel called Brian Mwenda in August 2022.

His trick was found when, according to the LSK, he made an erroneous email address entry to access the LSK database in September. When Mwenda requested assistance logging in, the society’s IT department verified his identity by comparing his credentials to those of the real Mwenda. When the discrepancy was identified, LSK workers notified police, who then began a “manhunt” for the fake lawyer.

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The state of Mwenda is unknown at this time. While the LSK’s statement called for his “immediate arrest,” suggesting that he is still at large, Facts East Africa reported him as having been apprehended on Thursday.

A man posing as Mwenda posted a series of messages on X (previously Twitter) on Saturday, stating that he had “hacked into a website for lawyers and added my picture to make it seem like [I’m] a certified lawyer.” This was a further twist in the story.

I should get the cases upheld, he said. “Who was representing whom did not affect the law. I gave convincing reasons, solid proof, and reasoned arguments.

He wrote, “The Courts should test my legal knowledge…and admit me to the bar.” “I’m a genius because I’ve won 26 cases without ever setting foot in law school. Kenya has a large number of practising solicitors who have never prevailed in a court of law or who are unable to defend themselves in court.

However, the LSK has a negative opinion of Mwenda’s fraud. “The Council of the Law Society recognises that masqueraders pose a serious threat to the practise of law and is determined to take decisive action to deal with this issue,” it stated in its statement.