What happened to Brian Mwenda, who faked being a High Court lawyer and won 26 cases?

In a story that seems straight out of a Hollywood script — did someone say Suits? — Brian Mwenda, a man who allegedly faked being a High Court lawyer in Kenya, has been making headlines.

Mwenda assumed the identity of a legitimate lawyer, Brian Mwenda Ntwiga, by tampering with the Law Society of Kenya’s (LSK) portal. He uploaded his own photograph and claimed to be trained in law, thus gaining access to the legal profession under false pretenses. 

Mwenda’s audacity didn’t stop at merely assuming a false identity. He went on to represent clients in various courts, including Magistrates, the Court of Appeal, and the High Court. Reports initially suggested that he had won 26 cases, a claim that added to the sensationalism of his story. However, the LSK has since disputed this claim, stating that there is no factual basis to support the assertion that Mwenda won any cases, let alone 26 of them.

Did Brian Mwenda get arrested for pretending to be a lawyer?

The unraveling of Mwenda’s deception began when the real Brian Mwenda Ntwiga noticed he could no longer access his account on the LSK portal. Upon investigation, it was discovered that his personal details had been altered. This led to an emergency meeting by the LSK to investigate how Mwenda had managed to gain access to the account and assume a real lawyer’s identity. 

In October 2023, the LSK’s Rapid Action Team, in collaboration with local police, arrested Mwenda after receiving numerous public complaints. The organization also issued a statement clarifying that Brian Mwenda Njagi (the fake lawyer) was not an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya or a member of the LSK. The investigation on Mwenda has also sparked a broader crackdown on “masqueraders” within the legal profession in Kenya, with multiple arrests being made in different counties.

The arrest of Mwenda has raised significant questions about the integrity of legal systems in Kenya and the measures in place to prevent such deceptions. It has also highlighted the vulnerabilities within professional regulatory bodies and the need for stringent verification processes.

While Mwenda ended up behind bars, his story went viral. Until his arrest, he used social to defend himself from the LSK, claiming his actions helped citizens who could never afford expensive lawyers. But, after the consequences of his actions, the real-life Saul Goodman has vanished from the spotlights, leaving behind an incredible story that still captures people’s imaginations.