Controversy has rocked the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) after a man purporting to be an advocate was outed as an impersonator.
On Thursday evening, LSK Nairobi branch sounded the alarm, cautioning the public about the individual allegedly impersonating an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya to deceive unsuspecting clients.
It stated that a man going by the name Brian Mwenda Njagi was not an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, nor a member of the society.
“The Branch wishes to notify all members of the society and of the public that Brian Mwenda Njagi is not an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, from the Society’s records, neither is he a member of the Branch,” the statement read on X (formerly Twitter).
The LSK Nairobi Branch further urged anyone who had information about Njagi or any other person masquerading as an advocate to report to the relevant authorities for action.
“Members are encouraged to share any information of any person masquerading as an Advocate for the necessary action,” the statement added.
While speaking to Citizen Digital, LSK President Eric Theuri acknowledged that, indeed, the individual operating under the name Brian Mwenda Njagi was not an advocate and said they had asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to arrest him.
“We have invited the DCI to track this person and arrest him for impersonation,” Theuri said.
Veteran lawyer Omwanza Ombati also took to X to sound the alarm, revealing that Brian’s actions exposed the serious risks Kenyan lawyers were operating under.
“It appears that Mr Mwenda managed to upload his image as the profile picture on an account belonging to another advocate who shares a similar name,” Omwanza shared.
“Our concerns, however, extend beyond the individual deception perpetrated by Mr. Mwenda. The data within the LSK Portal, where members entrust critical information, has seemingly been compromised.”
URGENT DATA SECURITY CONCERNS: Law Society of Kenya
Dear Colleagues,
I write to you today about a matter of utmost importance that demands our immediate attention.
It has come to our notice that Mr. Brian Mwenda has been operating within our legal community under a false… pic.twitter.com/zQuE1eTbyn
— Omwanza Ombati (@omwanza) October 12, 2023
The news took X by storm after tens of people started sharing the alleged fake lawyer’s past activities, with videos showing him not just in a court of law representing a client but also in several instances where he can be seen causing a commotion at an LSK conference and also squaring off with a police officer after an altercation.
In one video which has left many aghast, he is actually captured on live television while representing a high-profile client, former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga.
As he began to make his submissions in court, his confidence, legal mastery and unflinching dedication astounded many, with Kenyans on X thoroughly impressed with his apparent grasp of legal jargon.
“If they are presenting something verbally, and is contradictory to what is on the affidavit, which I was also going to highlight… There are quite a number of facts that are not in alignment…” he says to the presiding magistrate while correcting the opposing counsel.
In yet another unearthed video, an agitated Brian is seen shouting down the hall at an LSK Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Safari Park hotel.