His death was confirmed by his family and Chief Justice Martha Koome in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 1.
Kariuki was among Kenya’s senior legal figures, having served as the country’s seventh Attorney General between 2018 and 2022 under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He was appointed to the position in March 2018, replacing Professor Githu Muigai.
Before his appointment, Kariuki served as President of the Court of Appeal from 2013 to 2018. He became the first judge elected by fellow judges to lead the court under the 2010 Constitution.
His judicial career included an appointment as a High Court judge in October 2003. He later joined the Court of Appeal in 2012 before becoming its president.
Kariuki also served as the first Director of the Judiciary Training Institute between 2009 and 2013. He previously headed the Kenya School of Law as its Principal and Chief Executive Officer.
He studied law at the University of Nairobi and obtained a postgraduate diploma from the Kenya School of Law. He was admitted to the Kenyan Bar in 1978.
During his career, he handled civil, commercial and electoral matters while contributing to Kenya’s judicial system.
His death marks the loss of a former senior government legal adviser and an experienced judicial officer.
