Brian Mwenda at Milimani law court Nairobi on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.[ File, Standard]
A new documentary is set to explore one of Kenya’s most astonishing true stories that of Brian Mwenda, the self-proclaimed lawyer whose elaborate deception shook the nation’s legal fraternity.
Titled The Lawyer, the feature-length film is directed by acclaimed Polish filmmaker Maciej Bochniak and produced by Warsaw-based company Madants.
Already in production, the project has already drawn attention at major industry platforms, including the Locarno Film Festival’s Match Me! programme and the Rome-based MIA Market.
According to Business Doc Europe, Madants presented The Lawyer at the MIA Market as a remarkable real-life story blending courtroom drama, moral inquiry, and psychological intrigue.
The film follows Brian Mwenda, a young man who appeared to rise from humble beginnings to become a celebrated figure in Kenya’s courts winning high-profile cases, charming the media, and even securing a partnership at a prestigious firm.
But his success story collapsed spectacularly when it was revealed that he had never completed law school.
He had allegedly forged his credentials, taught himself law through YouTube tutorials and episodes of Boston Legal, and constructed an elaborate persona that made him a national sensation.
“The story of Brian Mwenda fascinated me from the first moment I read about it,” Bochniak told Business Doc Europe.
“Here was a young man who had the courage to risk his future by taking on the world and going against the grain. Not having been born into the elite who can afford any university education they desire, Brian took matters into his own hands. Whether he operated like a secret agent or approached it as an actor inhabiting a role, the outcome was nothing short of genius.”
Producer Kinga Tasarek of Madants described The Lawyer as “a story so unbelievable it could be fiction yet it’s entirely true.”
Speaking to Business Doc Europe as well, she explained: “The film combines elements of a crime thriller, courtroom drama, and moral investigation, following a self-taught Kenyan ‘lawyer’ who exposed deep flaws in the justice system.
“Through Brian Mwenda’s extraordinary case, the documentary explores ambition, deception, and the blurred boundary between truth and performance. Its mix of real-life tension, global resonance, and psychological complexity makes it a true-story drama with the intensity of a scripted film.”
Mwenda’s saga first captured global headlines in 2023, when reports emerged that he had been practising law using falsified academic and professional documents.
His supposed record of 26 court victories became the subject of heated debate, with legal figures including former Law Society of Kenya president Eric Theuri later dismissing the claim as exaggerated.
Bochniak, known for directing the HBO documentary Ethiopiques and Netflix’s Freestyle, likened the tale to the fictional universe of Suits.
“Here’s a young man who defied the odds, stepping into a world he wasn’t born into. Whether he relied on cunning or sheer bravado, the result was remarkable, and it’s a story that demands to be told,” he said.
Visually, the documentary will blend observational footage shot in Nairobi with archival and media materials that chronicled Brian’s rise and downfall.
“In-depth interviews with Brian himself, his lawyers, clients, friends, and family create a multi-layered perspective,” Tasarek added.
“We’re also using reconstructions to evoke the performative nature of Brian’s ‘acting’ as a lawyer. The tone merges realism with a stylised edge echoing the duality of truth and illusion at the film’s core.”