Five people accused of masquerading as lawyers for the last 13 years have been apprehended in Bungoma.
During a swoop that was led by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), in collaboration with local security agencies, it was discovered that the suspects have been running four different law firms.
In a press briefing on Thursday, May 5, LSK representative Steve Mbugua said the individuals have been using law firms to swindle unsuspecting residents.
According to Mbugua, the operation led to the recovery of vital documents, including files of ongoing court cases.
Mbugua claimed that the individuals have been unlawfully representing clients in both virtual and physical courts without being detected.
"The individuals have been running four separate law firms. Unfortunately, these offices have been there for quite some time, since 2013, and we have realised that they have been conning members of the public of millions of shillings," Mbugua said.
"It is a clear indication that these individuals have also been appearing in courts, especially the virtual court sessions, pretending to be lawyers and in the capacity of providing legal services," he added.
Mbugua urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and ensure that they seek legal services from accredited lawyers, whom they can check their legitimacy by either demanding their licenses or searching their names on the LSK official website.
Mbugua further assured that the society will be at the vanguard in weeding out such individuals, who face up to three years in prison, in a bid to reinforce professionalism and integrity in the legal ecosystem.
The arrest of the individuals comes three months after the society, in a statement on Wednesday, February 26, announced the closure of three fake law firms to swindle clients in Garissa County.
LSK claimed that the fake law firms had conspired with a series of cybercafés that would refer victims of the fraud to the fake law firms by purporting to draft legal documents and referring them for commission.
"A team from the Secretariat, accompanied by the upcountry Council Member- Ms. Linda Kiome, visited the Town for a scheduled inspection that was undertaken from February 20 to 22, 2025," LSK said.
"Among the visited firms, three were found to be non-compliant, with no advocates present to oversee their branch offices during the inspection period," it added.
