A court in Embu County has sentenced a woman who pretended to be a lawyer and conned a client out of Sh229,000 to two years in prison. The ruling was delivered at a magistrate’s court in Siakago after the court found that the woman had falsely presented herself as a qualified advocate.
The accused, identified as Jane Kiura, was convicted after the prosecution proved that she impersonated an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and obtained money from a member of the public under false pretences.
According to the prosecution, Kiura deceived a client who was seeking legal assistance to process a title deed. She convinced the client that she was a legitimate lawyer and promised to help complete the legal process.
Court documents revealed that the incident occurred between 19 November and 2 December 2024 in Siakago town, located in Mbeere North Sub-County of Embu County.
The victim, John Ngari, told the court that he paid the woman Sh229,000 after she claimed she would assist him in processing a title deed. However, after receiving the money, she failed to deliver the promised service.
Prosecutor Fridah Makena told the court that the accused falsely claimed she was working under a lawyer named J.I. Mwai, an advocate and commissioner for oaths. This claim helped convince the victim that her services were genuine.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence showing that the accused had been operating an office in Siakago town while pretending to be a qualified advocate. The office was located at Eva Plaza.
In his ruling, Resident Magistrate J.N. Githiaga said the prosecution had successfully proven the case beyond reasonable doubt.
“Therefore, guided by the applicable law, the principles of sentencing, and the Judiciary Sentencing Policy Guidelines 2023, I hereby sentence the accused person to pay a fine of Sh100,000,” ruled the magistrate.
He further stated that if the accused fails to pay the fine, she will serve one year in prison for obtaining money by false pretences.
“For the offence of impersonating an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, the accused will serve two years’ imprisonment,” the magistrate added.
The court also noted that the accused had been operating an illegal office while pretending to offer legal services to unsuspecting clients.
Following the ruling, the court ordered that the office be closed immediately. The directive was issued to the Practice, Ethics and Standards Committee of the Law Society of Kenya.
The committee was also instructed to confiscate stamps that were allegedly being used by the accused while posing as a lawyer.
Authorities said the stamps bore the name of the advocate she claimed to be working under, raising concerns about how easily members of the public can be misled by individuals posing as professionals.
The case has raised fresh concerns about the growing number of people impersonating lawyers to defraud unsuspecting clients seeking legal services.
Legal experts have urged members of the public to always verify the credentials of advocates through the Law Society of Kenya before seeking legal services or making payments.
– By Mark Simitia
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