Meet the First AI Super lawyer to transform legal landscape in Kenya
Naftal Obwoni the founder and CEO of MZawadi Loyalty Group, has a powerful and personal story that drove him to make a difference in Kenya’s legal and justice system.
It all began with a challenging chapter in his own life when his father lost his job under questionable circumstances.
Speaking to Nairobi News, Obwoni said that the battle for justice was long and gruelling, and it took a heavy toll on their family.
“The journey was long because of having no access or understanding of law and dependence on lawyers. Paying expensive consultation fees,” he says.
Armed with his passion for innovation and a string of global awards under his belt, he embarked on a journey to democratize and make accessible the legal and justice system in Kenya.
Also read: Devastated: Lady Bee wails as 5-year Athi River investment is demolished
His vision is to ensure that no one else has to go through what his family experienced, especially in a country where access to justice can be a formidable challenge.
Obwoni and his team set out to create an AI-powered lawyer, a digital champion they named “Wakili.” Leveraging the power of AI, Wakili is designed to understand the intricacies of Kenyan law. It is trained in various domains of law, from criminal and civil to family and commercial law.
It even understands less common areas like environmental, labour, healthcare law, customary and many so much more. “What sets “Wakili” apart is its ability to communicate in over 20 languages, including Kiswahili and English, including vernacular languages like Kikuyu, Kalenjin Luo among others making it approachable and easy to understand for all Kenyan citizens.”
This is your partner in law that just needs Sh50 for the public to access any information in 24 hours.
“This isn’t business, the amount charged is basically to support the platform and sustain it, this is our socially impactful platform for Kenyan people” Obwoni added.
Also read: How businesswoman was conned of Sh140,000 in fake weight loss operation
The impact of “Wakili” has been immense, especially for those facing challenges in the justice system in regard to information. Some of the beneficiaries include victims of gender-based violence, Low-income earners, prisoners, families with land issues and many more who are increasingly giving moving stories of using “Wakili”, right from their phones.
Is it the end of paralegals? We asked Obwoni. “It is a choice they will have to make. To either use it as a co-pilot or risk being replaced. In my opinion, they will be able to do a better job, prepare better and create efficiency. For law students, this will be a game changer, they will now focus on building their skills better than spending a lot of time researching.”
What is the future? “The future we are working towards is to enable “Wakili” to speak to its users hence having actual voice conversations. This will be revolutionary, especially for users who cannot write.
We asked further, Any expansion to our local dialects? To which he responded politely “In few months, “Wakili” will be able to generate responses in the top five vernacular languages in Kenya. We of course continue to strive to have it accessible in all our 42 languages. This for use will mean that we are steps closer to achieving our 2010 constitution dream of access to justice.”
Obwoni’s dream of making justice more accessible in Kenya is becoming a reality.
“Wakili” is likened to having a trusted lawyer in your pocket, ready to assist you with legal matters at any time. The journey from a personal struggle to what is now a global award-winning innovation has finally come full circle.
He and his team aim to continue transforming the way Kenyan citizens interact with the knowledge of Kenyan law and are taking center stage in redefining the future of access to justice in Kenya.
Also read: Meru businessman on the spot for ‘kidnapping his wife’