The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has revealed how suspected masquerader Brian Mwenda infiltrated their systems and started practising law.
In a statement to members, LSK President Eric Theuri has accused Mwenda of stealing the identity of Brian Mwenda Ntwiga through a fraud scheme known as Business Email Compromise (BEC).
According to LSK, Ntwiga confirmed that he had not applied for a practising certificate since his admission to the bar in August 2022, since he had been working at the Office of the Attorney General and did not require a Practising Certificate.
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"It was only until sometime in September 2023 when he attempted to log in to the system and activate his profile with the intention of applying for his practising certificate that he realized he could not access his LSK portal," LSK President Eric Theuri stated.
"He promptly alerted the ICT personnel at the Secretariat vide an email on the 28th September 2023, who upon inquiry noted that the details in the system, more particularly his email address did not belong to him hence the reason why he could not access his Membership portal."
How Mwenda duped LSK
LSK revealed that Mwenda contacted LSK expressing difficulties in accessing his account in the portal. On their part, the LSK IT team removed Ntwiga's email address and updated the account with Mwenda's, granting him access to the system.
However, Mwenda was not able to pay for a practising certificate since he was required to provide documents including the certificate of business incorporation, which he did not have.
"The LSK has commissioned an immediate review of the established protocols on change of membership credentials to enhance the internal control/ approval mechanisms. We have invited the DCI to send their investigators to launch a massive manhunt and the immediate arrest of the masquerader, (Brian Mwenda) and all his accomplices," Theuri added.
Theuri has maintained that the LSK portal was not compromised and members’ data remains safe and protected.
Theuri has also warned masqueraders that the organisation is taking stern measures to keep them at bay, including further digitizing its systems and allocating a budget to fraud investigation.
"The Council of the Law Society recognizes that masqueraders pose a serious threat to the practice of law and is determined to take decisive action to deal with this issue. We call on members to remain vigilant and inform the Secretariat or their respective Branches of any cases of suspected masqueraders for investigation and apprehension," he added.
"We have further in cognizance of the challenges of investigating, tracing and arresting masqueraders, in the budget for the financial year 2024 made provisions for funds to support the weeding out of masqueraders."
The fate of Brian Mwenda still remains unknown with authorities staying mum on the matter.
He is reported to have litigated a number of cases in Kenyan courts, with an impressive win rate.
On Thursday, the LSK Nairobi Branch dismissed Mwenda as a quack lawyer, saying he is neither an advocate of the High Court nor a member of LSK.
"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 (Nairobi) Branch," LSK Nairobi Branch noted.
Notice: It has been brought to the attention of the LSK Nairobi Branch through the Rapid Action Team (RAT), that the above pictured person has been presenting and conducting himself as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a member of LSK Nairobi Branch. pic.twitter.com/v3Bx75Fmgn— LSK Nairobi Branch (@lsk_nbi) October 12, 2023
