Africa-Press – Kenya. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has eulogised George Magoha as an exemplary people servant whose focus was on service delivery. Speaking while condoling his family at his Nairobi home in Lavington, Uhuru said Magoha was more interested in what he would do with his position rather than be obsessed with being a CS.
“You know there is a very big difference. There are people who seek a position for the sake of it but there are those who are in a position and are interested in what they can do with that position for the greater good. George Magoha is in that category of Kenyans,” Uhuru said.
The former Education CS died suddenly on Tuesday, January 24 at the Nairobi Hospital where he was rushed after he collapsed at home. The tough-talking CS was known for being abrasive and often viewed as condescending in his remarks on topical issues touching on his area of operation.
Uhuru said that was his nature and it didn’t bother him who he rattled so long as he spoke his truth. “He was a man who did not fear speaking the truth. You may not like what he had to say, you may even disagree with what he had to say but he had to say it,” Uhuru said.
The former head of state commended the attribute as one worthy to be emulated saying a leader needs to lead from the front. He said some of the challenges he faced in the line of his duty were challenges many would have run away from “but Prof never backed down, never shied away so long as he believed it was the right thing to do.”
Uhuru cited the exam cheating menace that had invaded Kenya’s education sector in 2015 which Magoha wiped out by being stern about honest work from learners and teachers.
“When we met and went through, Professor took it personally. Professor used to go and ensure where are the exams being printed, supervising it himself personally, not sending officers,” Uhuru said.
Magoha is credited for restoring integrity to the country’s exams by ensuring there were no leakages. He partly achieved this by assigning cabinet secretaries and permanent secretaries to oversee the unpackaging of exam papers to avert early exposure.
“I believe, when I made him a minister, I made the right choice,” Uhuru said. Magoha will be buried on Saturday at his rural home in Siaya on February 11.
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