Former High Court and Court of Appeal judge Paul Kihara Kariuki, who served as Kenya’s Attorney General from 2018 to 2022, has died aged 72.

Chief Justice Martha Koome confirmed his demise in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, paying tribute to his legacy.

Koome, on behalf of the Judiciary fraternity, extended condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives he touched during his 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.

President William Ruto also eulogized the late jurist, noting his distinguished service, including his role as the founding director of the Judiciary Training Institute, where he helped build confidence and shape the professional development of the country’s judicial officers.

“We shall remember Justice Kihara as an accomplished jurist and dedicated public servant who made an invaluable contribution to the development and strengthening of Kenya’s legal and judicial institutions,” the Head of State said.

Dr. Ruto added, “We stand with them in mourning this great loss and honoring a life of distinguished service to our nation.”

During his career within the Kenyan Judiciary, Kariuki held several key positions that shaped his legacy as an institutional reformer. When he was appointed to the bench by the late President Mwai Kibaki in October 2003, he immediately stepped into the critical role of Duty Judge at the High Court. In that capacity, which he held for two years, he took over administrative responsibilities from Justice Isaac Lenaola in a transition that occurred during a turbulent period marked by “radical surgery” tribunal investigations into judicial misconduct.

Recognizing his administrative capabilities, former Chief Justice Evan Gicheru picked him in 2006 to chair a vital integrity review committee. He was tasked with investigating and addressing deep-seated financial and administrative mismanagement within the corridors of justice.

As President of the Court of Appeal, he championed reforms to decentralize operations, increase accessibility, and improve efficiency.

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. His started off his legal journey 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.