Officers from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) alongside police officers today arrested three quack lawyers alleged to have been hoodwinking the public and seized numerous court files from their offices in Gatundu South, Kiambu County.
Daniel Gachau Mwangi, the LSK chairman Thika chapter said the impromptu crackdown was occasioned by an uproar from the public over proliferation of imposter lawyers who masquerade as certified lawyers.
Gachau said that the alleged fake lawyers pretend to be in a position to offer the public legal counsel after their relatives are charged in court and in the process, they pocket millions from unsuspecting clients and disappear.
He said that the fake lawyers have gone a step further and set up offices from which members of public troop for nonexistent legal services.
During the raid, Gachau said that many other quack lawyers got wind of the crackdown prompting them to close down their offices and flee.
The advocate warned that all the fake lawyers will be pursued in a bid to save members of the public the troubles they are taken through by the quacks.
The chairman appealed to members of the public to scrutinize the credibility of lawyers they go seeking legal representation from to avoid being defrauded.
Those arrested are expected to be arraigned in court tomorrow.
Stephen Wanjiru, the secretary to the chapter said they organized the raid after receiving complaints from members of the public through court users’ committees about the huge upsurge of people masquerading to offer legal services.
Wanjiru maintained that lawyers are self-governed through LSK and that there are systems to enforce professionalism among its members.
He insisted that while their move to clean the sector would occasion their insecurity, their zeal to stop quacks from hoodwinking Kenyans will go undeterred.
The fake lawyers, he said, appear in court rooms smartly dressed, some carrying case files and approach vulnerable clients to offer them legal counsel after their relatives are charged in court.
Other materials that were seized during the crackdown are seals, stamps, fake licenses among other documents.