Karugu recalls working various jobs during his time at BGSU, including babysitting Scott Hamilton (future Olympian). For room and board costs.
As per Article 156 of Kenya’s Constitution, the Attorney General serves as principal legal advisor for Kenya and promoter/defender of rule of law and public interest.
Who is the Attorney General of Kenya?
Kenya’s Attorney General serves as an important part of its executive branch and has significant power to advise government on legal matters and prosecute serious crimes, while representing state interests in court cases. He or she plays an integral part in upholding law and order.
PSC reports that Kenyan citizens face difficulty as a result of insufficient resources available to the office, including an absence of attorneys tasked with interpreting laws. Furthermore, support staff and funds for specialized training are in short supply at this location.
Kenneth Polite visited Nairobi from May 15-18 for a judicial colloquium and to meet Kenyan law enforcement partners. Specifically, he met with OPDAT Resident Legal Advisors, foreign prosecutors and law enforcement officials, U.S. Embassy Nairobi staff as well as Kenyan officials to strengthen partnerships and advance his mission of upholding rule of law and combatting transnational crime. While in Nairobi National Park with DEA personnel he also discussed improving cooperation in fighting illegal wildlife trafficking as well as illegal drugs smuggling.
Functions of the Attorney General of Kenya
The Office of the Attorney General serves various roles, such as providing policy, coordination and oversight for legal sector institutions. Furthermore, it promotes and protects human rights while spearheading law reform initiatives; encouraging good governance practices to combat corruption; providing education on legal topics.
The Attorney General is an ex officio member of both Parliament and Cabinet as well as all legislative and judicial committees in Kenya.
The Attorney General of Kenya represents the Government of Kenya before foreign courts and tribunals, providing legal advice to all government ministries, and acting on other constitutionally required duties such as providing the Kenya National Commission on Corruption with all relevant information and reporting back every six months on progress against corruption.
Duties of the Attorney General of Kenya
Attorney General of Kenya provides more than legal prosecution – in addition to prosecuting cases in courts of law, they advise government ministries, departments, constitutional commissions and state corporations on legal matters. He or she serves as depository of laws as well as local and international documents signed on behalf of Kenya.
The Attorney General provides legal advice regarding constitutional, statutory, and legislative issues. They are also the custodian of the public seal and maintain custody over Office records.
AAG Kenneth Polite, Jr. traveled to Nairobi, Kenya for a regional colloquium on pretrial detention hosted by the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT). While in Kenya he met with both Kenyan law enforcement colleagues as well as representatives from foreign law enforcement agencies to strengthen partnerships and advance OPDAT’s mission of upholding lawful rule and combatting transnational crime. While in Nairobi AAG Polite visited Nairobi National Park with DEA staff where he learned more about environmental sustainability as well as wildlife trafficking issues.
History of the Attorney General of Kenya
The Attorney General is an elected constitutional position and enjoys security of tenure equivalent to that of a Cabinet Secretary, meaning their appointment cannot be terminated by the President except in cases of criminal or unconstitutional activity. Their responsibility includes upholding human rights, upholding constitutional provisions and access to justice by providing legal aid, good governance measures, anti-corruption strategies, ethics & integrity initiatives as well as law reform and legal education initiatives.
James Karugu ’62 upholds his family’s legacy of leadership and service by becoming Kenya’s second Attorney General. A student at Bowling Green State University at the time of independence, Karugu earned both his undergraduate degree in history and political science as well as law school at Lincoln’s Inn London before returning home and practicing law as well as founding his own coffee farm – an outstanding testament to higher education’s transformative power as an international partnership tool. James attended our Centennial Alumni Awards dinner and ceremony on April 25.