A Machakos woman arrested for impersonating an advocate. Photo Virginia Siebela 
By Virginia Siebela
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK), in collaboration with the police, has arrested a woman in Machakos Town for impersonating an advocate while operating at Maweu & Co. Advocates. The suspect was found performing legal duties despite not being registered with the society.
The arrest was part of an impromptu crackdown by LSK targeting rogue law firms in Machakos suspected of harboring unqualified individuals. The suspect was reportedly handling core legal functions such as commissioning affidavits, drafting pleadings, and illegally collecting client funds via her personal Mpesa account—bypassing the legally required advocates' client bank account.
The LSK operation was led by council member Wavinya Nicholas, who said the arrest followed tips from whistleblowers, including members of the legal fraternity and the public. The woman was found inside the law firm preparing to attend to unsuspecting clients before being taken into custody.
Wavinya raised concern over a growing trend where registered advocates allegedly shelter unqualified individuals as "managers" or "ambulance chasers" to tout for clients. She cautioned licensed legal practitioners against compromising the profession’s integrity, urging them to strictly adhere to the LSK code of conduct by employing only certified and registered lawyers.
“This should serve as a warning to those masquerading as advocates. The net is closing in and the Law Society of Kenya will not relent,” she said.
The Machakos arrest adds to a string of recent operations, with similar arrests made last month in Siaya County (2), Bungoma (6), and Garissa (2), as part of LSK’s national campaign to weed out quacks and protect the sanctity of legal practice in Kenya.
The suspect is expected to face legal action as investigations continue.
