Kenya's second Attorney General James Karugu is dead

Kenya's second Attorney General James Karugu.[Standard, file]

Kenya's second independence-era Attorney General James Karugu is dead, the family has confirmed.

Karugu, 86, died last night, though details of his death remain scanty.

Karugu was a familiar name in the 1970s, when he was the deputy public prosecutor, until April 1980, when he was appointed by former President Daniel Moi as the new Attorney-General.

He took over from Charles Njonjo, Kenya's first AG who had resigned to join politics.

Karugu served as Attorney General between 1980 and 1981, resigning only 17 months into the job.