Prof. George Magoha’s Memorable Moments
Born in 1952 in the county of Kisumu, Professor George Albert Omore Magoha was widely recognized as a no-nonsense consultant surgeon and academic administrator who served as Cabinet Secretary of Education till 2022.
Magoha will be remembered for numerous reasons, including his unwavering leadership at the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC).
In 2016, Magoha intimated that he may have been giving his final speech as chairman of the KNEC. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated him Cabinet Secretary of Education in the future.
Magoha, who passed away on January 24th, will be remembered for numerous things, particularly his term as Cabinet Secretary.
– The University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor Professor Magoha, the vice chancellor of the University of Nairobi, has served in numerous capacities at the university, including as chairman, dean, and principal of the college of health sciences.
In 2005, Magoha was chosen Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, having received the highest score among all applicants.
Magoha will be recognized at the University of Nairobi for introducing discipline among the academic staff, non-teaching employees, and students.
Magoha brought order to unruly students and ended the persistent student strikes that rocked the University of Nairobi for years.
During Prof. Magoha’s administration, the largest Kenyan university constructed UoN Towers.
– KNEC Chairman
Magoha resigned as Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi and was thereafter appointed KNEC Chairman (KNEC).
As Chairman of the Kenya National Examination Council, Magoha will be known for his extensive changes that nearly eradicated exam cheating.
Magoha is credited for eliminating exam cheating networks that had persisted in the Ministry of Education for decades.
– Cabinet Secretary for Education Former President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Magoha to serve as the Cabinet Secretary for Education in the Kenyan Cabinet on March 1, 2019.
On March 26, 2019, he was sworn in to replace Amina Mohamed, who was reassigned to the Sports docket.Magoha maintained reforms at the Ministry of Education that resulted in the highest number of pupils enrolling in high school.
Magoha launched a 100 percent transition from primary to secondary schools, as he advocated for education for all.
Under The 100 Transition Policy, all Kenyan parents and parents whose children reside in the country are required to enroll their children in primary and secondary school.
Prof. Magoha highlighted that the movement toward achieving 100 percent transfer from elementary to secondary education is only one step toward achieving universal basic education.
– No-nonsense public scolding of education officials
On Monday, August 31, 2021, former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha was captured reprimanding an underperforming public official.
Magoha, who headed a multi-sectoral team in a door-to-door drive in the Rift Valley region to look for Standard Eight dropouts who had not yet reported to secondary school, publicly reprimanded an education official for not doing more to aid the process.
“And you are coming here for the first time, let that nonsense stop because I will not take it.
If you want to resign and go into politics then do so now. You must make sure that you are available in the field because you are in charge of all counties in the Rift Valley unless you delegated that to someone else,” Prof Magoha.
Prof. George Magoha’s Memorable Moments
