A Kenyan man, who made national headlines after he was exposed for practicing law without qualifications, expressed his gratitude for the support he has since received from the public. According to the BBC, legal officials in the East African nation called on authorities to arrest the supposed lawyer who goes by the name “Brian Mwenda.”
Officials described the man as a “masquerader” who was impersonating a real lawyer by the name of Brian Mwenda Ntwiga. And though the “fake lawyer” was allegedly practicing without a license, reports from local media stated that he won several lawsuits despite being unqualified.
The “fake lawyer” has also been rebuked by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) as well as the East African nation’s Director of Public Prosecutions. But the condemnation has not stopped him from garnering support.
Kenya’s Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) described him as a “brilliant young mind” who has gained grounds “without traditional qualifications.” Mike Sonko, who is a former governor of Nairobi, was also seen in a video with the “fake lawyer” shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
“I would like to convey my gratitude to the people that are supporting me and praying for me… in the fullness of time I will be able to clear this misunderstanding,” the man who appeared to be Mwenda said. “I will be also be able to provide my innocence and provide the actual context.”
The man appearing to be Mwenda also said he would report himself to the police “hopefully” on Monday or Tuesday and provide a statement, BBC reported. But Sonko, who has been accused of drug smuggling and money laundering, labeled the people calling out the “fake lawyer” as “nincompoops”.
“He’s never killed anyone, he’s not a terrorist,” Sonko said. Kenya’s director of public prosecutions, Renson Mulele Ingonga, however, in a statement on Saturday said he has “directed the Inspector General of the National Police Service to undertake expedited comprehensive investigations.”
Ingonga also said this case isn’t the first of its kind as he has observed an increase in “cases of unqualified persons… pretending to be Advocates of the High Court of Kenya”.
I still maintain that my future lawyer Brian Mwenda is innocent until proven guilty. Tuko na yeye huku Mombasani until Monday when we shall present him to the DCI to record a statement pic.twitter.com/fFGNoxG7tX
— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) October 13, 2023
