Two female 'fake' lawyers arrested in Kasarani
The suspects will be arraigned to face charges of impersonation and forgery of legal documents.
What you need to know:
- The suspects will be arraigned to face charges of impersonation and forgery of legal documents.
Police have arrested two women suspected of running an illegal law firm in Nairobi's Kasarani estate.
The two were arrested by detectives and officers from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) while operating from an apartment near Kasarani Police Station.
The suspects will be arraigned to face charges of impersonation and forgery of legal documents.
The LSK Rapid Action Team led by Stephen Mbugua said the fake lawyers had now changed their tactics and resorted to operating in residential areas.
"Various transactional documents including property transfers and wills have been recovered from the duo," Mbugua said.
He warned the public and other members of the legal fraternity against engaging unqualified persons for legal work, saying they risked disciplinary action, including deregistration.
The latest arrest comes just weeks after a man was arraigned before the Milimani Magistrate's Court on 20 February, accused of impersonating a High Court lawyer and issuing a fake demand letter to an unsuspecting member of the public.
According to the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Simon Githu Mbugua, 61, had issued a fake demand letter to a member of the public who had been defrauded of Sh20,000.
Detectives from the Serious Crime Unit arrested the suspect on February 26 at Muindi Mbingu Street in Nairobi's Central Business District after he forwarded the demand letter claiming to be a lawyer.
"Simon Githu Mbugua was arrested on Monday, February 26, 2024 at Muindi Mbingu Street in Nairobi CBD after he wrote and forwarded the demand letter while impersonating Winny A Ochwal Advocates - Commissioner for Oaths," the DCI said.
Detectives later searched his office in the CBD and recovered a stamp bearing the name of the lawyer he claimed to be.
"During the search of his office in Kimathi Hse, a stamp bearing the name of the lawyer he claimed to be was recovered before he was arrested and detained at Muthaiga Police Station," the DCI said.
He was released on Sh100,000 cash bail pending the hearing of the case on 5 March 2024.
The arrests came as the LSK said there had been an increase in the number of unlicensed people practising as lawyers. They regretted that the masqueraders had been approaching vulnerable clients offering them legal advice on various matters in court only to fleece them of millions after which they disappeared.
More than thirty quack lawyers have been arrested since the crackdown began in January.
Among those found to be illegally offering legal services are former clerks to accredited lawyers, law school dropouts and some civil servants who are well versed in legal matters.
