Former Education CS George Magoha dies at 71

Former Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has died at 71. 

“Yes it is true. He is no more,” his wife Dr Barbra Magoha told the Nation.

He died at Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday following a cardiac arrest. 

He was reportedly rushed to the facility today after falling ill.  

Prof Magoha was known as a tough-talking and no-nonsense CS during his time at the Education Ministry. 

He leaves behind his wife Dr Magoha and son Dr Michael Magoha. 

The Nation understands that he had just commissioned his memoir last week, while also gearing up to settle in his new role as a don at the university. 

By Tuesday evening, family members had started arriving at Lee Funeral Home where Prof Magoha’s body was moved. 

His death is a double blow to the Magoha family as his brother, Prof Richard Nyabera Magoha, was set to be buried this Saturday after passing on in the US on December 6, 2022. 

The family was already going on with burial arrangements when they were hit with news of the death of the former CS.

In August 2021, the Prof Magoha lost another brother, Charles Agunga Magoha, who died in Sweden.

Before being appointed to cabinet five years ago, Prof Magoha served as Vice-Chancellor at the University of Nairobi (UoN) for ten years (2005 to 2015). He also served as a Professor of Urological and Transplant Surgery at UoN’s College of Health Sciences. His medical career includes work and training in Nigeria, Ghana, Ireland and the United Kingdom. He also trained in Executive Management at Stanford University. 

In Nigeria, he began his career as an intern in Surgery at Lagos University Teaching Hospital  and rose to become Senior Resident and Clinical Lecturer in Surgery. He later joined UoN as a Lecturer in Urological Surgery in 1988 and rose through the ranks to become a full Professor of Surgery in 2000.