Three individuals posing as lawyers have been arrested in Kisii County for allegedly defrauding job seekers under the guise of offering legal services. The arrests were made on Tuesday, October 28, during a joint operation by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) officials and police officers.
According to LSK Kisii Council member Davins Biyaki, the suspects were nabbed following complaints from the Kisii County Public Service Board about fraudsters targeting applicants after the county advertised several job vacancies.
“We were called this morning after reports emerged that some individuals were masquerading as advocates and misleading the public. They were offering clearance services to job seekers claiming to be legitimate lawyers,” said Biyaki.
During the raid, police recovered court-related documents, advocate stamps, and other materials believed to have been used in the illegal operations. Investigations revealed that the suspects were operating from cyber cafes near the county offices, where they offered document certification and clearance services for a fee.
Biyaki added that the suspects were even commissioning Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) documents and certifying papers without holding valid LSK licenses. “They are certifying and stamping documents and commissioning EACC forms without being advocates,” he explained.
The legitimate advocates whose stamps were used have since denied any involvement, insisting they were unaware their professional identities had been misused.
One of the victims revealed that the scammers tried to extort Ksh300, promising to fast-track his job application to the county government, but he grew suspicious and declined to pay.
This incident is part of a broader crackdown by the LSK targeting unlicensed individuals and law firms operating illegally across Kenya. In July, a woman in Machakos County was similarly arrested for running a fake law firm, offering services such as preparing court documents and swearing affidavits without LSK accreditation.
The LSK has urged the public to verify the credentials of advocates before seeking legal services to avoid falling victim to such scams.
