Early life and education
Many have been told about the gone hero and may have snippets about his early life, Prof George Albert Omore Magoha as his name goes was a Kenyan born In 1952 to the family of the late Benard Bonface Magoha and John Sarah Aloo in Rutudi Village East Gem Siaya county.
He moved in with his older brother, John Obare and his wife Agatha Christine Obare, in Nairobi, on account of his [Magoha] asthma, at a young age.
He attended Yala primary school later Dr. Living Stone Primary school. Magoha joined Starehe Boys center where he completed his O-Level studies. He then studied at Strathmore School, for his A-Level education, graduating with a High School Diploma.
He excelled in his university entry examinations. He was awarded a scholarship to study human medicine at the University of Lagos, in Nigeria. His studies took him through the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the University College Hospital, Ibadan, both in Nigeria and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, in United Kingdom. He is trained as a specialized urologist and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Ireland.
Magoha was awarded a scholarship to study human medicine at the University of Lagos, in Nigeria. His studies took him through the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the University College Hospital, Ibadan, both in Nigeria and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital in London, United Kingdom. He was trained as a urologist and was a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Work and Marriage
At the turn of the century (late 1990s to early 2000s), Magoha was appointed chairman, dean and principal in the College of Health of Sciences and later deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Nairobi, in quick succession. In 2005 he was appointed the vice-chancellor of the UoN, having scored the highest among the applicants.
His most remarkable achievement at the UoN was instituting discipline among the academic staff, non-teaching staff and the students. A the time he assumed office, apparently staff members never worked, lecturers missed classes and some even lost student examination marks. Student strikes were notoriously common and had damaged the institution’s reputation.
By meeting openly with students to discuss their issues, he created a safety valve for ventilation and preventing them from rioting. For the 10 years he served as the vice chancellor, the students went on strike fewer times than before his time in office.
In 2016, with his record as a no-nonsense education administrator, he was appointed the Chairman of the Kenya National Examination Council, by President Uhuru Kenyatta. His immediate task as the Chairman of KNEC was to reform the council to arrest the widespread academic dishonesty and corruption in the administration of national examinations. He is credited to have dismantled cartels that had propagated exam cheating for years and restored credibility of exams in Kenya.
On 1 March 2019, he was nominated as the Cabinet Secretary for Education in the Kenyan Cabinet and was sworn in on 26 March 2019, replacing Amina Mohamed, who was transferred to the Sports docket.
Magoha was appointed as a chair person of Kenya association of Urological Surgeons In 1997 a position he served until 2013. The late professor joined University of Nairobi as lecture in Urological surgery in 1998. He became a full professor in 2000.
From 2011 to 2013 Magoha served as a President of the association of African Universities.
In 2005 Omore was promoted to be a vice chancellor of university of Nairobi a position he served until January 2015. He was appointed as the chairman of Kenya National examination council a position he served from 2016 to 2019 when he was appointed as cabinet secretary for education by Former President Uhuru Kenyatta were he served until October 2022.
17 January 2023 Magoha was appointed as the professor of surgery in School of Medicine at Maseno University a position that he served till his demise.
Magoha died few hours after the body of his brother landed from the county for burial on Saturday. Magoha has left behind a widow Dr. Babra Magoha and a Son Dr. Michael Magoha.
DEATH
Magoha died following a suspected cardiac arrest at the Nairobi Hospital, on 24 January 2023, at the age of 71. He had collapsed at home before being rushed to the hospital where he later succumbed after efforts to resuscitate him were futile.
Magoha was known as a tough-talking and no-nonsense during his tenure at the Ministry of Education, where he served at the helm as a Cabinet Secretary.
We as the Tandao Fraternity we pass our condolonses to the fallen hero having nartured all of us
