Four law firms operating without official accreditation from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) have been shut down in Garissa County, as the crackdown on illegal legal practitioners gains momentum across the country.
The firms were raided and closed after it emerged they were being run by individuals posing as lawyers without licenses or registration. Those found operating the unregistered offices were immediately arrested and taken into custody.
Speaking to journalists after the operation, LSK Council Member Steve Mbugua said the illegal outfits had been exploiting unsuspecting members of the public by offering services they weren’t qualified or authorised to provide.
“These offices had no legal registration whatsoever. Some had been issued notices earlier to comply with the 2020 LSK regulations, which require every law firm to be managed by a licensed and registered advocate,” Mbugua said.
He revealed that the rogue individuals were not only pretending to be advocates, but were also handling sensitive legal work such as drafting contracts, offering representation, and charging clients for services they had no right to offer.
“We’ve arrested all those found masquerading. They’ve been cheating Kenyans by presenting themselves as qualified lawyers,” he added.
This latest raid in Garissa is part of a broader national effort by the LSK to clean up the legal sector. Just earlier this month, five people were arrested in Bungoma County for running fake law firms.
Investigations revealed that some of these operations had been active for over a decade since 2013 without detection, and had swindled clients out of millions of shillings.
Another case was reported in Uasin Gishu County on June 20, where a man posing as a human rights lawyer had been operating illegally for over seven years.
“The individual arrested had been running an organisation under the guise of human rights advocacy, while offering legal services without any legal training or accreditation,” Mbugua said.
He emphasized that the Law Society would continue to pursue such cases and would not relent in its efforts to protect the integrity of the legal profession.
“This is about restoring trust. We are committed to rooting out imposters and ensuring that only qualified, licensed lawyers are allowed to practice,” Mbugua stated, warning that those found guilty face up to three years in prison.
The LSK has encouraged the public to remain vigilant and verify the status of their legal representatives through official channels before engaging any legal services.
