Former Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki, who died on Tuesday aged 72, has been cremated in Nairobi in accordance with his final wishes.
Kariuki was cremated at Kariokor Crematorium on Wednesday, November 4, in a ceremony attended by prominent political and judicial figures, including former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Others present were 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.
His family had confirmed that the former top government lawyer would be cremated, respecting his personal wishes.
Kariuki's death marked the end of a distinguished career spanning nearly five decades, during which he served in private legal practice, educational leadership, senior judicial administration and public service.
His cremation places him among a growing list of prominent Kenyans who have chosen the practice, often departing from conventional burial traditions.
Among notable Kenyans who have been cremated is Nobel Peace Prize laureate and environmentalist Wangari Maathai, who died in 2011.
Maathai chose cremation because she did not want trees felled to provide timber for her coffin. Her remains were cremated at Kariokor Crematorium.
Veteran politician Kenneth Matiba, a leading figure in Kenya's struggle for multi-party democracy, was cremated at Lang'ata Crematorium in 2018 in accordance with his wishes.
Former Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore was also cremated in a private ceremony in July 2019 following his death after battling cancer.
Others include Charles Njonjo, Kenya's first post-independence Attorney General, former Head of Public Service Jeremiah Kiereini and former Kibera MP Ken Okoth.
The list also features Jane Kiano, the former Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation leader, and former Anglican Archbishop of Kenya Manasses Kuria, whose cremation in 2005 generated debate within church circles.
Celebrated author and journalist Binyavanga Wainaina, who died in 2019, and actor and filmmaker Charles Ouda, who died in 2024, also opted for cremation.
The choices reflect changing attitudes towards funeral arrangements in Kenya, where cremation, though still less common than traditional burial, has increasingly become an option for individuals seeking to have their final wishes respected.
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