Ex-Attorney General Paul Kihara Dies

Former Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki has died aged 72.

His death was confirmed by Chief Justice Martha Koome in a statement on Tuesday, November 3, in which she paid tribute to the former head of the Office of the Attorney General and former President of the Court of Appeal.

Koome, on behalf of the Judiciary fraternity, extended condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and those whose lives he touched during his distinguished career in public service.

“Justice Kihara Kariuki was an accomplished jurist, an exemplary judicial leader and a dedicated public servant whose contributions to the administration of justice and the development of Kenya’s legal institutions will remain an enduring part of our institutional history,” she said.

Kariuki served as Attorney General between 2018 and 2022 after being nominated by former President Uhuru Kenyatta on February 13, 2018, following the resignation of Githu Muigai.

Born on May 11, 1954, in Kiambu County, Kariuki was the son of the late Anglican Church Bishop Obadiah Kariuki and Lillian Wairimu, a daughter of Senior Chief Koinange.

He attended Nairobi School before joining the University of Nairobi, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1977.

He began his legal career as an assistant at Hamilton, Harrison and Mathews Advocates in Nairobi between 1977 and 1980 before becoming a partner at the firm from 1981 to 1986.

In 1986, he co-founded Ndungu Njoroge and Kwach Advocates, where he practised until 2000.

He subsequently served as Director of the Kenya School of Law before joining the Judiciary in October 2003 following his appointment as a High Court judge by retired President Mwai Kibaki.

During his judicial career, Kariuki served as a duty judge at the High Court and later chaired an integrity review committee established by former Chief Justice Evan Gicheru in 2006.

In 2009, he was appointed to head the newly established Judicial Training Institute, where he laid the foundations for structured judicial education and professional development.

He was later appointed a Court of Appeal judge and became its President in 2013, serving until 2018.

As President of the Court of Appeal, he championed reforms aimed at improving efficiency, accessibility and the decentralisation of court operations.

Koome particularly recognised his contribution as the founding Director of the Judicial Training Institute, which later evolved into the Kenya Judiciary Academy.

“His legacy will endure through the institutions he helped build, the reforms he championed and the generations of judicial and legal professionals who benefited from his leadership,” she said.

Following his departure from the Judiciary, Kariuki served as the country's chief legal adviser under the Kenyatta administration until 2022.

Koome said the Judiciary was mourning his passing while celebrating a life dedicated to the law, public service and strengthening institutions that uphold the rule of law.

She prayed for strength and comfort for his family, describing his contribution to the country as lasting and distinguished.