The office of Professor George Magoha at Maseno University in Kisumu County stands tall and grand, but remains empty. Magoha, who was a urologist by profession and had recently been appointed as the Professor of Surgery at the university’s School of Medicine, was expected to take up his new position on Monday, January 30th. However, news of his untimely death on Tuesday, January 24th, came as the university was finalizing preparations for his arrival.
Sources at the institution of higher learning reveal that Magoha was allowed to bury his younger brother, Professor Alex Nyabera Magoha, before taking up his teaching duties. The university management was eagerly awaiting his arrival, and had even gone to the extent of offering him better facilities and more advanced equipment than the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Julius Omondi Nyabundi.
Magoha had a distinguished career in academia and held several high-profile positions, including Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, Professor of Surgery at the University’s College of Health Sciences, and Chairman of the Kenya National Examinations Council. He also served as the Cabinet Secretary for Education under former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Despite his passing, Magoha’s contributions to the education sector and the world of academia will not be forgotten. A senior staff member at Maseno University said, “We were hoping he would also transform the [medicine] department the way he positively changed the country’s education sector. The news [of his death] is extremely shocking.” Magoha is survived by his wife Dr. Barbara Magoha and son Dr. Michael Magoha.
