List of High-Profile Kenyans Who Chose Cremation Instead of Burial

Former Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki was cremated at the Kariokor Crematorium on Wednesday, November 4, following his death on Tuesday at the age of 72.

His family confirmed that the choice respected his personal wishes, bringing a close to a career spanning nearly five decades across private legal practice, educational leadership, senior judicial administration, and public service.

A gathering of high-profile political and judicial figures attended the ceremony. They included former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Chief Justice Martha Koome, former Chief Justices Willy Mutunga and David Maraga, and former Attorneys General Justin Muturi, Githu Muigai, and Amos Wako. Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka was also present.

Kariuki joins a growing list of prominent Kenyans who have departed from conventional burial traditions. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and environmentalist Wangari Maathai chose cremation in 2011 because she did not want trees felled for her coffin, with her remains also handled at Kariokor Crematorium.

Veteran multi-party democracy leader Kenneth Matiba was cremated at the Lang’ata Crematorium in 2018, while former Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore was cremated in a private ceremony in July 2019 after battling cancer.

Other notable figures on the list include Kenya's first post-independence Attorney General Charles Njonjo, former Head of Public Service Jeremiah Kiereini, and former Kibera MP Ken Okoth.

The practice has also included Jane Kiano, former leader of the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation, and former Anglican Archbishop Manasses Kuria, whose cremation in 2005 generated considerable debate within church circles.

Authors, artists, and public figures have similarly embraced the option, including celebrated writer and journalist Binyavanga Wainaina in 2019 and actor and filmmaker Charles Ouda in 2024.