Kalonzo mourns Kihara as tributes pour in for ex-Attorney General

Tha late former Attorney General Kahara Kariuki. /FILEWiper Patriotic Front Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has joined national leaders in mourning former Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki, praising his distinguished service in the Judiciary and Government.

Kihara, who also served as President of the Court of Appeal, died on Tuesday, November 3, with Chief Justice Martha Koome announcing his death and leading tributes from the Judiciary. He was 72.

In his condolence message, Kalonzo described the former AG as a dedicated servant of the law whose career was defined by service to the Constitution and the ordinary Kenyan seeking justice through the courts.

“Justice Kihara spent his working life in the service of the law. He rose to the office of Attorney-General, where he advised the Government of the day, and later to the Bench, where he led the Court of Appeal,” Kalonzo said.

The former Vice President observed that the two offices carried significant constitutional responsibilities, particularly in safeguarding the interests of citizens who depend on the courts for justice.

He said Kihara had discharged his responsibilities over many years, and his death leaves the legal profession and the Judiciary poorer.

“His passing reminds us that institutions are only as strong as the people who choose to serve them honestly,” Kalonzo said.

He extended his condolences to Kihara’s wife, children, extended family, friends and former colleagues in the Judiciary and legal profession on behalf of the Wiper Patriotic Front, The Ukombozi Alliance and his family.

Kalonzo also invoked the biblical passage in Micah 6:8, calling for justice, mercy and humility, as he prayed for God’s comfort for the bereaved family and eternal rest for the departed jurist.

President William Ruto also mourned Kihara, describing him as an accomplished jurist and dedicated public servant whose contribution helped strengthen Kenya’s legal and judicial institutions.

He particularly recognised his contribution to judicial training and professional development, noting that he served as the founding director of the Judiciary Training Institute, where he helped shape the professional development of 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,” Ruto said.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, under whose administration Kihara served as Attorney General, also paid tribute to the late jurist, describing him as a renowned judge and dedicated public servant whose career left an enduring mark on Kenya’s judicial and public institutions.

Chief Justice Martha Koome, in her message on behalf of the Judiciary fraternity, described Kihara as an exemplary judicial leader whose contribution to the administration of justice and development of the country’s legal institutions would remain part of Kenya’s institutional history.

Kihara served as Kenya’s seventh Attorney General from 2018 to 2022, having been nominated to the position by Kenyatta in February 2018 and sworn into office in April that year.

He succeeded Prof Githu Muigai and was later succeeded by Justin Muturi in October 2022.

Before joining the Executive, Kihara had built a distinguished career in the legal profession and Judiciary.

He was appointed a High Court judge in 2003 before rising to become President of the Court of Appeal in 2013, a position he held until his appointment as Attorney General in 2018.

He also served as the Director of the Judiciary Training Institute between 2009 and 2013 and previously headed the Kenya School of Law as its Principal and Chief Executive Officer.

His death marks the loss of a senior legal figure whose career spanned private legal practice, judicial leadership, legal education and public service.