Being born with the intelligence of a genius and the acting skills of an Oscar-winning star sounds like a winning package, but in reality, this is more of a blessing laced with a curse.

Just like in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, some talented conmen may just opt for a shortcut, whenever possible, in order to achieve greatness.

This is what happened with a lawyer named Brian Mwenda, who has won all 26 cases he has ever handled, before being arrested for faking his legal practice.

Indeed, the BBC reported this weekend that a man in Kenya had been arrested after being accused of practicing law without the proper qualifications.

Recently, a man in Kenya was accused of faking being a lawyer

Image credits: AfricaFactsZone

Last week, Kenyan legal officials had reportedly urged the police to arrest the man practicing under the name “Brian Mwenda”, an identity stolen from a real lawyer, named Brian Mwenda Ntwiga.

He was reportedly arrested by the Law Society of Kenya Nairobi Branch Rapid Action Team (RAT) for false pretenses.

As reported by NDTV, the RAT released an official statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), that read: “The Branch wishes to notify all members of the society and of the public that BRIAN MWENDA NJAGI is not an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, from the Society’s records, neither is he a member of the Branch.”

Local media had reported that the “fake lawyer” had won dozens of lawsuits despite not being professionally trained as a solicitor.

He took the name “Brian Mwenda”, from a real lawyer, and despite his lack of training, won 26 lawsuits

Image credits: lsk_nbi

Brian handled 26 cases before High Court Judges, Magistrates, and Court of Appeal Judges before his arrest, all of which he won, the Nigerian Tribune reported.

The alleged con artist had accessed The Law Society of Kenya portal, identified the account of the man with a name corresponding to his, and tampered with the details, Ghana Web reported.

Despite condemnation by the Law Society of Kenya and the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions, the alleged conman reportedly earned the support of many people in the area.

Moreover, the alleged imposter has also said that he was innocent, and has subsequently thanked people who have come out in support of him.

As a result, the alleged con artist was arrested last week

Image credits: lsk_nbi

The popular swindler has even received accolades from Kenya’s Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) reportedly referring to him as a “brilliant young mind” who has succeeded “without traditional qualifications”.

Pretend Brian has additionally been defended by Mike Sonko, a controversial political figure who used to be the governor of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

Mike posted a video on X, backing the “fake lawyer” as he stood next to the now infamous man of the hour.

The man who appeared to be Brian (the fake one) said: “I would like to convey my gratitude to the people who are supporting me and praying for me… in the fullness of time I will be able to clear this misunderstanding.

Brian has been backed by Mike Sonko, a controversial political figure

Image credits: lsk_nbi

“I will also be able to provide my innocence and provide the actual context.”

The alleged con artist went on to reveal that he would go to a police station and provide officers with a statement “hopefully” this week.

But the controversial video has not impressed Kenya’s director of public prosecutions, who in turn said that “Mr. Mwenda” still currently faces prosecution.

In a statement on Saturday (October 14), Renson Mulele Ingonga wrote: “I have directed the Inspector General of the National Police Service to undertake expedited comprehensive investigations.”

Brian said that he would  “be able to provide his innocence” while thanking his supporters

Image credits: Sora Shimazaki (not the actual photo)

The prosecutor admitted that Brian’s case had been seen before in the country, as he said he had noticed “increased cases of unqualified persons… pretending to be Advocates of the High Court of Kenya”.

Scammers have been the subject of plenty of fascinating documentaries, with some going as far as to trick people into giving them millions of dollars.

One of the most famous con artists has recently revived her name, as a result of the Netflix series Inventing Anna.

The popular show was based on Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born German con artist who pretended to be a wealthy German heiress under the name Anna Delvey.

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Kenya’s director of public prosecutions said that “Mr. Mwenda” still currently faces prosecution

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Anna successfully infiltrated the privileged life of New York’s high society, defrauding and deceiving major financial institutions, banks, hotels, and individuals for a total of $275,000.

Another swindler prompted the creation of the popular black comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, featuring Jim Carrey, where he played the protagonist Steven Jay Russell.

Steven was a Georgia police officer who impersonated several individuals to escape from a Texas prison.

He infamously embezzled from the North American Medical Management Corporation.

People’s opinions on Brian were divided, as most thought he should be sent to law school

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