NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 4 – Former Attorney General Kihara Kariuki was cremated at Kariokor Crematorium on Wednesday in accordance with his final wishes, in a ceremony attended by former President Uhuru Kenyatta and senior figures from the Judiciary and legal fraternity.
Kariuki, who died aged 72, was honoured by Chief Justice Martha Koome, former Chief Justices Willy Mutunga and David Maraga, former Attorneys General Justin Muturi, Githu Muigai and Amos Wako, as well as Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
Solicitor General Shadrack Mose attended on behalf of the Attorney General and the Office of the Attorney General, delivering a condolence message that recognised Kariuki’s distinguished career and contribution to Kenya’s legal institutions.
“The late Hon. Justice (Rtd.) Paul Kihara Kariuki was a distinguished legal mind whose dedication to public service and the administration of justice left an indelible mark on our country’s legal institutions,” Mose told mourners following Kariuki’s cremation at the Kariokor Crematorium in Nairobi.
He described Kariuki’s leadership, professional integrity and commitment to the rule of law as an enduring legacy.
Kariuki’s career spanned nearly five decades, encompassing private legal practice, judicial administration and public service.
He was appointed a High Court judge in 2003 before joining the Court of Appeal, where he became the first president elected by fellow judges under the 2010 Constitution.
He served as President of the Court of Appeal from 2013 to 2018, championing reforms aimed at improving the court’s efficiency and accessibility, including decentralising its operations.
He later served as Attorney General from 2018 to 2022, becoming the Government’s principal legal adviser. He also served as founding Director of the Judiciary Training Institute, laying the foundations for structured judicial education and professional development.
In a condolence message following his death, Chief Justice Koome described him as a distinguished jurist whose contribution to Kenya’s legal institutions would endure, noting that his legacy would live on through the institutions he helped build and the reforms he championed.
Prominent Kenyans cremated
Kariuki’s cremation places him among prominent Kenyans who have chosen the practice, which remains less common than conventional burial arrangements.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and environmentalist Wangari Maathai was cremated at Kariokor Crematorium in 2011 after choosing the practice because she did not want trees felled to provide timber for her coffin.
Veteran politician Kenneth Matiba was cremated at Lang’ata Crematorium in 2018 in accordance with his wishes, while former Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore was cremated in a private ceremony in July 2019.
Others include Kenya’s first post-independence Attorney General Charles Njonjo, former Head of Public Service Jeremiah Kiereini, former Kibera MP Ken Okoth, former Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation leader Jane Kiano and former Anglican Archbishop of Kenya Manasses Kuria.
Celebrated author and journalist Binyavanga Wainaina and actor and filmmaker Charles Ouda also opted for cremation.
Other leaders who attended Kariuki’s farewell included former Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Winfridah Mokaya, former National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani, former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju.
Members of the Judicial Service Commission, judges, magistrates, Senior Counsel and other members of the Bar also attended.
