Ruto nominates Dorcas Oduor as next Attorney-General

President William Ruto has nominated Dorcas Oduor for the position of Attorney-General. She currently works as Secretary, Public Prosecution at the office of the DPP.

According to a statement issued by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Ms Oduor has more than 30 years of experience in the legal sector.

"Senior Counsel Oduor has demonstrated unimpeachable integrity, impressive professional competence and steadfast commitment to the rule of law," the notice said. 

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta conferred her with the title Senior Counsel in July 2020, along with 23 other lawyers at the time including Kalonzo Musyoka, Philip Murgor, Otiende Amollo and Martha Karua. 

First female AG

If approved by Parliament, Ms Oduor will become Kenya's first female Attorney-General and the ninth overall.

All previous holders were male, beginning with the first Attorney-General Charles Mugane Njonjo, who held the position from independence in 1963 to 1979. He was replaced by Mr James Karugu, the man who served the office the shortest in 1981 and was followed by Mr Joseph Kamere, who was Attorney-General between 1981 and 1983. Mr Matthew Guy Muli served from 1983 to 1991 and was succeeded by Mr Amos Wako, who served the longest from 1991 to 2011.

Prof Githu Muigai was the first Attorney-General after the promulgation of the Constitution and served from 2011 to April 2018, when he was replaced by Justice (retired) Kihara Kariuki, who was in office from 2018 to 2022.

When the Kenya Kwanza administration came into office, President William Ruto appointed the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Bedan Muturi, as the Attorney-General. Mr Muturi served from 2022 to July 2024 when he was dismissed alongside other Cabinet Secretaries following widespread protests, which were triggered by an increase in taxes contained in the Finance Bill, 2024.

 Ms Oduor was admitted to the bar as an advocate of the High Court in 1992, having attained her Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1990, and a postgraduate diploma at the Kenya School of Law a year later.

Additional report by Sam Kiplagat