Former Attorney General and retired Court of Appeal President Paul Kihara Kariuki has died at the age of 72.
His death was confirmed by his family and Chief Justice Martha Koome in a statement released on Tuesday, November 3.
Koome mourned Kariuki, describing him as an accomplished legal mind and former judicial leader whose service had left a lasting mark on Kenya's legal institutions.
"It is with profound sadness that I have learnt of the passing of Hon. Justice (Rtd.) Paul Kihara Kariuki, EGH, former Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya and former President of the Court of Appeal," Koome said.
Kariuki served as Kenya's Attorney General between 2018 and 2022, having previously held the position of President of the Court of Appeal from 2013 to 2018.
He was appointed to the High Court bench in 2003, where he served in the civil and commercial divisions before his elevation to the Court of Appeal.
Kariuki pursued his legal studies at the University of Nairobi before obtaining a postgraduate diploma from the Kenya School of Law (KSL). He was subsequently admitted to the Bar in 1978, marking the beginning of his career in the legal profession.
He started practising law at Hamilton Harrison and Mathews Advocates before co-founding Ndungu Njoroge and Kwach Advocates, where he worked until his appointment as Principal and Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya School of Law.
In 2003, Kariuki was appointed a High Court judge, initially serving in the civil and commercial divisions. He later joined the Court of Appeal, where fellow judges elected him president in 2013.
Kariuki as Attorney General
Then-President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Kariuki for the position of Attorney General in February 2018 following the resignation of Professor Githu Muigai.
Parliament approved his nomination in March 2018, paving the way for him to assume office on April 2, 2018.
His tenure as the country's chief legal adviser came amid strained relations between the Executive and Judiciary after Kenyatta declined to appoint 41 judges recommended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
The decision sparked criticism from then Chief Justice David Maraga, who faulted the President over the failure to appoint the judges.
Kariuki also represented the government's interests in the legal disputes surrounding the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a constitutional reform process that sought to introduce several changes to the Constitution. However, the initiative suffered a major setback in March 2022 when the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional.
During his tenure at the State Law Office, the government concluded 4,541 cases filed against it, provided 3,119 legal opinions to ministries and government agencies, and approved 252 procurement contracts.
Kariuki's Exit From Government
Kariuki left office on October 27, 2022, following the 2022 General Election and the formation of President William Ruto's administration. He handed over the office to Justin Muturi, whom Ruto had appointed as his successor.
Beyond his judicial and government responsibilities, Kariuki served as an honorary legal adviser to the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK).
He was also affiliated with several professional bodies, including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the International Bar Association.
