Kenya's Former Attorney General Paul Kihara is Dead

Kenya, 3 November 2026 - Former Attorney General and retired Court of Appeal President Justice Paul Kihara Kariuki has died, the Judiciary has announced.

He died at the age of 72 years.

Chief Justice Martha Koome, who is also President of the Supreme Court, announced his death in a message of condolence published on Tuesday on both her Facebook and X accounts.

“It is with profound sadness that I have learnt of the passing of Hon. Justice (Rtd.) Paul Kihara Kariuki,” she said.

She extended condolences on her own behalf and on behalf of the Judiciary fraternity to his family, friends, colleagues and all those he worked with during his career in public service. The statement did not give the cause or date of death, or burial arrangements.

Justice Kihara served as Attorney General from 2018 to 2022, the Government’s principal legal adviser. Chief Justice Koome described him as “an accomplished jurist, an exemplary judicial leader and a dedicated public servant.”

He was appointed a Judge of the High Court in 2003 and was later elevated to the Court of Appeal. There he became the first President elected by fellow Judges under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.

He led the Court of Appeal from 2013 to 2018. According to the Chief Justice, he strengthened the court’s institutional foundations and championed reforms to improve its efficiency and accessibility, including the decentralisation of its operations.