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Kenya's infamous 'fake lawyer' Brian Mwenda gets a documentary
Brian Mwenda Njagi.
A feature documentary centred on Kenya’s infamous “fake lawyer” Brian Mwenda is currently in development. Titled The Lawyer, the project is directed by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Maciej Bochniak, whose credits include the HBO documentary One Billion Happy People, Netflix’s crime thriller Freestyle, and the Polish adaptation of The Office for Canal+.
The film is being produced by Madants, with co-financing from the Polish Film Institute.
The Lawyer was first unveiled at the Locarno Film Festival through the festival’s Locarno Pro networking initiative, Match Me!.
In October, it was also selected for the Doc Co-production Market & Pitching Forum—one of the key sections of Rome’s Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo (MIA), a leading platform connecting international producers, directors, and broadcasters.
In his director’s statement shared with Business Doc Europe, Bochniak said he was captivated by Mwenda’s story from the moment he heard it, likening it to the hit series Suits, where a talented college dropout successfully poses as a lawyer.
“Suits captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, making people wonder if such a thing could happen in real life. Then came Brian,” Bochniak noted.
Brian Mwenda at Milimani Law Courts on October 18, 2023 on charges of forging Law Society of Kenya Certificate of Practice as an advocate of the High Court. He faces five more other charges.
“Here was a young man who dared to challenge the system. Without the privileges of the elite who can afford higher education, Brian took matters into his own hands. Whether he acted like a secret agent or an actor preparing for a role, the outcome was nothing short of remarkable.”
For producer Kinga Tasarek of Madants, Mwenda’s story offers the tension and complexity of a scripted legal thriller—rooted, however, in reality.
“The Lawyer tells a story so unbelievable it could be fiction, yet it’s entirely true,” Tasarek told Business Doc Europe. “It combines elements of crime thriller, courtroom drama, and moral inquiry, following a self-taught Kenyan ‘lawyer’ whose actions exposed deep flaws in the justice system. Through Mwenda’s case, we explore ambition, deception, and the fine line between truth and performance.”
Tasarek added that the filmmakers aim for The Lawyer to resonate far beyond Kenya, tapping into global questions about truth and authenticity in a time when real life often outpaces fiction.
Mwenda became a viral sensation in 2023, when reports surfaced that he had practised law for more than a year without formal qualifications—allegedly using forged certificates to gain admission to the bar.
Media outlets claimed he had won 26 cases at Kenya’s High Court, a statement disputed by legal authorities.
Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Eric Theuri refuted the claims, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Allegations that the masquerader Brian Mwenda won 26 cases are false and misleading. There is no factual basis to support these claims. Efforts to apprehend him are ongoing.”
As of November 2025, Mwenda faces multiple criminal charges, including identity theft and forgery.
A verdict has yet to be reached.
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