Former AG Paul Kihara Kariuki Dies Aged 72

A Section of Thika Super Highway

Former Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki, a retired Court of Appeal judge, has died aged 72. His death was confirmed by his family and Chief Justice Martha Koome in a statement issued Tuesday, November 1.

Kariuki served as Kenya’s seventh Attorney General from 2018 to 2022. He held the position under former President Uhuru Kenyatta after replacing Professor Githu Muigai in March 2018.

Before joining the executive, Kariuki led the Court of Appeal as its president. He served in that capacity between 2013 and 2018.

He became the first judge elected by fellow judges to head the court under the 2010 Constitution. His appointment followed years of service within Kenya’s judiciary.

Kariuki joined the High Court in October 2003 before moving to the Court of Appeal in 2012. He had earlier served as the first Director of the Judiciary Training Institute between 2009 and 2013.

He also headed the Kenya School of Law as its Principal and Chief Executive Officer. His leadership roles extended across judicial training, legal education and government service.

Kariuki studied law at the University of Nairobi and later obtained a postgraduate diploma. He was admitted to the Kenyan Bar in 1978.

Throughout his career, he handled civil, commercial and electoral matters. His work placed him among the senior legal figures who served Kenya’s justice system.