“I am definitely not mechanical. I am a top grade professor. I work from the backroom. I am a surgeon; I identify the problem then deal with it and leave. I don’t expect to agree with everyone, if you agree with everyone it is a problem.”

“Perhaps using myself as an example, I have lived my life… you have your life to live so I am more worried about when I go to be with the Lord, what is it you youngsters will remember me about.”

“I ask myself, would I like to be remembered as Prof Magoha who had several trucks of gold in his house or would I like to be remembered for having done something that touched the less fortunate people.”

“I remember one day in my life as an asthmatic, my mother had five cents which was supposed to go to buy tea in the village so that I can take hot fluid for my chest and I can breath properly and the five cents got lost but you see where I am today

“You are not supposed to be intimidated by the outside splendid glamour.”

“God is very kind, if he did not distribute intelligence equally to everybody, then I would not be where I am today.”

“You must start by respecting your body…naked body, not the clothed one. You respect it, you do not abuse it and bring it up the way God has made you to bring it up. You do not inject things into your body that are not important.”

“For me, I have already paid rent for my clinic and therefore I do not expect to be handed any other job… mine is to wish everyone well and charge us to continue working as we should be working.”

“I would want people to understand me and my training in Starehe, which I left 50 years ago. We were trained to manage by walk-abouts, never to delegate completely.”

“I am serving Kenya by choice, the President (Uhuru Kenyatta) respected me and I also respect him back therefore I take orders from him. Everything I do is for the general public starting with being obedient to my employer and serving the children. I also know that I was not born a Minister and I will not die a Minister.”

“There is one problem in Kenya today, those who work diligently are the ones who end up being demonized. I am being fought by cartels after I sealed all corruption loopholes in the ministry.” “I was appointed to work at Kenya National Examination Council, why? I do not know and I told the President but Sir, I am a university professor and I have not dealt with children in primary and secondary.”

“My major weakness is that I start from the end, from the goal I want to achieve and work backwards.”

“Failure is never in my vocabulary… I always want to get where I am going by all means that are lawful. I was trained never to trust anybody that even when you delegate completely because if you delegate completely then you lose control.”

“I am not a politician and I don’t desire to be one. By the grace of God, I am just a technocrat. The weakness I have is that I am just a worker.”

Read also:

Leave Machogu Alone, Gusii Professionals Tell Critics of Kisii’s Stellar KCSE Performance

List of Sub-County Schools Elevated to County Status after Posting Stellar KCSE 2022 Results

All 2022 KCSE Candidates With C+ and above to Join University

KCSE 2022 Schools’ Ranking Per County

KCSE 2022 Results/ Grade Analysis Per School-National Schools

Shocking Confession Video of Grade 5 Pupils Sodomizing Each Other Causes Uproar

A former county director of education, who trended in 2020 after being publicly humiliated by former Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof George Magoha has hailed him as a gallant hero in the education sector.

Dr Gitonga Mbaka, the former Uasin Gishu County Director of Education confirmed that he has no grudge against the late CS.

In November 2020, Magoha rented the air after a video of him insulting and publicly humiliating Mbaka went viral.

In the clip, recorded during a visit to Langas Primary School in Eldoret, he is heard saying: “Nikisema wewe ni mjinga ni uongo? (If I say that you are fool, would it be false?). He was later kicked out of Magoha’s tour of the region.

Read also:

‘Wewe Ni Mjinga Kabisa,’ Magoha Publicly Insults A CDE

‘I Could Not Exchange With Magoha Because Of Pupils,’ Mbaka Reveals

CBC Learners to Learn in Common Schools

Primary Schools hosting Junior Secondary to be Given New Names

MOE’s New Guidelines on Junior Secondary Schools

These 13,221 Primary Schools Have Been Approved to Host Junior Secondary-See List

Magoha’s behaviour resulted to a backlash from Kenyans against him, with some education stakeholders calling for his resignation.

But speaking following news of Prof Magoha’s death on Tuesday, the now retired Mbaka has joined many in eulogising him as a gallant leader who valued the people he worked with.

He has also described the former CS as a hero whom he respected highly due to his diligence.

“I have no issues with the late. As my senior in authority, he owes me nothing. He was a gallant civil servant. May his soul rest in peace,” Mbaka said.

“All was going on well during an inspection of coronavirus disease preparedness until Prof Magoha saw some construction materials left behind by workers, which was not my fault, but as the education boss in the county, I had to bear the responsibility,” adds Mbaka.

He reveals that after the incident, he received numerous calls from various people across the country offering him support, even as many Kenyans demanded an apology from Prof Magoha.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has called for an increase in university fees from the current Sh16,000 per year.

The outgoing CS said the amount that was set years ago has since lost value.

He also said only needy students should be funded by the government and asked the new government to come up with a sustainable funding model.

Should the Ruto administration implement Magoha’s proposal, students from rich families will pay more for their education in public universities in the latest push to ease a biting cash crunch in the institutions and cut reliance on the Treasury.

Earlier, the University Funding Board (UFB) had launched push for a cut on government funding for children of the rich at universities.

Read also:

School Heads and TTC Tutors to Be Trained on CBC

We are Seeking Land to Build More Schools, Ruto

Gachagua’s Message to all Teachers on Humiliation and Embarrassment by State

Gachagua: CBC is Going Nowhere

We are Not Getting Rid of You Soon, Gachagua Tells Magoha

Ezekiel Machogu Biography-Age, Education, Work-Experience, Family

Audience in Stitches as Magoha Mistakenly Refers to Ruto as Moi

Gachagua to Launch CBC Taskforce Today Despite Stakeholder Concerns

The review by UFB will also affect government-sponsored students in private universities who receive at least Sh70,000 annually depending on the course they are pursuing irrespective of their income status.

The government is expected to pay 80 percent of the cost of degrees per student under the current funding model, with the learners in public universities paying about Sh28,000 annually. The funding board, with the backing of the Treasury and university vice-chancellors, wants the allocations reviewed to reflect the students’ income status.

Public universities have come under financial strain in recent years as a result of rapid expansion amid lower State funding and a sharp fall in enrolment on self-sponsored programmes after the government opted to fully fund students scoring the minimum C+ entry grade and above in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.

Students enrolling for the parallel degree courses had over the years generated billions of shillings for the institutions because they pay the full cost of programmes that top over Sh600,000 annually for those like medicine.

Magoha also urged lecturers to allow President William Ruto’s government to settle before they start issuing pay increase demands.

Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has thanked outgoing CS George Magoha for his ongoing efforts in the education sector.

Gachagua said despite having been replaced by the CS nominee Ezekiel Machogu, Magoha has still shown his support and commitment to the education sector.

Gachagua was speaking during the induction of the 49-member education reforms task force.

“We are not in a hurry to get rid of you. Although there is an incoming CS, I am sure you’ll hold his hand. When the need arises we will call you,” Gachagua said.

Read also:

Ezekiel Machogu Biography-Age, Education, Work-Experience, Family

Audience in Stitches as Magoha Mistakenly Refers to Ruto as Moi

Gachagua to Launch CBC Taskforce Today Despite Stakeholder Concerns

Chinese Community Donates Ksh. 6.8M to a Mathare School

List of Members Appointed to the CBC Review Task-Force  Team and Their Profiles

CBC Training of Teachers For JSS Under Threat as Treasury Reviews TSC’s Budget Today

Teacher Defiles Pupil, Gives Her Birth Control Pills

Students Attack a Teachers After Encountering Them With His Female Student

Machogu is set to be vetted by Members of Parliament.

In his speech, Magoha said he has similarities with Gachagua and that recently they have become friends

“I have engaged the deputy president lately and I can see we have similarities,” Magoha said.

But Gachagua said the difference between him and Magoha is their workmanship.

“We are similar the only difference is that in the government you served you could not talk liberally,” he said.

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta appointed Magoha to serve as the education CS in 2018.

“The one I serve you talk openly and you say the truth as it is,” Gachagua said.

Outgoing Education CS George Magoha left a crowd in stitches after he mistakenly referred to President William Ruto as President Daniel Moi.

While addressing education stakeholders during the induction of the CBC working party, he referred to the newly elected president as former president Moi.

“It’s because he led us for 24 years,” he said while laughing.

This left vice-chancellors, teachers and parastatal heads who were present at the event in stitches.

“What I like about President Daniel, President Ruto is that he listens, even if he doesn’t want to,” he said.

Read also:

Gachagua to Launch CBC Taskforce Today Despite Stakeholder Concerns

Chinese Community Donates Ksh. 6.8M to a Mathare School

List of Members Appointed to the CBC Review Task-Force  Team and Their Profiles

CBC Training of Teachers For JSS Under Threat as Treasury Reviews TSC’s Budget Today

Teacher Defiles Pupil, Gives Her Birth Control Pills

Students Attack a Teachers After Encountering Them With His Female Student

KUCCPS Application For Placement To Polytechnics and TVETS For 2000-2021 KCPE Candidates

List Of Principals Promoted to Job Groups R, S and P

Lydia Nzomo: Teachers Have Been Through a lot

He spoke during the launch of a three-day induction for the Education Reforms Taskforce.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua presided over the induction at Cemastea Research Institute in Karen.

The 49-member task force was constituted by President William Ruto to review the Competence Based Curriculum and will start their induction on Wednesday.

According to the Gazette, the Taskforce will among other things evaluate the CBC which has been the bone of contention in the education sector.

Outgoing Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha yesterday called for commercialisation of talent development among students to promote national growth aspirations. Prof Magoha said through nurturing of talents the learners can be prepared to be future job creators in the society. Consequently, he recommended that the new government prioritises development of talents among the students through school co-curriculum activities as a way of growing the creative industry.

As such, he said the learners should be nurtured to pursue their talents and not to restrict themselves to exam-oriented learning. “Our children must now consider focusing on how they can use their talents as a way of creating jobs rather than just studying to sit for the final exams,” he said. Getting platforms Speaking when he opened the ongoing 94th Kenya Music Festival (KMF) in Kisumu town on Monday, Magoha underscored the role played by music in nurturing the talent of learners across the country.

Read also:

Do Not Scrap CBC, Magoha Tells Ruto

Re-training of Grade 1, 2, 3 Language Teachers to Begin Tomorrow

List Of Most Selected Junior Secondary Schools Per County

Sossion Opposes 2023 Double Intake of CBC Grade 7 and Form Ones

Nancy Macharia Named Among the Cs Education Potentials

How Grade Six Learners Will Be Placed in Selected Junior Secondary Schools

List of Affordable Private Junior Secondary Schools Per County

KPLC Gives Customers 2 Weeks to Comply With New TIMS’ Regulations-See List

Stop Being Dishonest, Havi Tells KNUT, KUPPET

The minister noted that through the annual music festival many students were getting platforms to grow their talent. Similarly, he said the festival has enabled to achieve certain goals of education including ensuring national unity and appreciation of the diverse cultures in Kenya. “In the build-up to this festival, the enormous potential and talent amongst our youth and the dedication of our teachers has been quite evident.

We have also seen an industry that is bubbling with life. This is a testament to the robust creative industry in our country which if well harnessed, will be the next big source of job creation,” said Magoha. He added: “Music is more than just a school activity; it is life. We perform music as we work, eat, plant and as we celebrate happy or sad occasions. That is why we have sustained this Festival.” Further, the CS stressed the need to inculcate culture in the various local communities to enhance diversity and cohesion.

He observed that some communities were on the verge of losing their way of life because the young generation is not properly introduced to their culture. “We must think of going back to our culture and music is one way to keep culture alive,” he said. Magoha was accompanied by Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, his deputy Mathews Owili and KMF national chairman Peter Wanjohi among other leaders.

The week-long event with the theme “Kenya, My Pride, My Future”, has brought together over 130,000 participants from pre-primary school, primary and secondary schools, technical institutions and universities.

The Ministry of Education has leapt to the defence of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) amid growing fears that it may be remodelled or scrapped altogether by the new government. In the first CBC implementation bulletin-Volume 1, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha says that the 8-4-4 system of education introduced over 30 years ago had outlived its usefulness.

He said 8-4-4 provided the foundation for expansion of education opportunities, apart from preparing learners for the then emerging labour market or for self-employment. “The current environment is radically different from what the 8-4-4 system of education was created to respond to. We are now in a knowledge-based society faced with the constantly changing challenges, constraints and opportunities. This needs a new kind of education… an education that equips learners not just with knowledge, but capacity to learn and relearn,” the CS states.

Read also:

Re-training of Grade 1, 2, 3 Language Teachers to Begin Tomorrow

List Of Most Selected Junior Secondary Schools Per County

Sossion Opposes 2023 Double Intake of CBC Grade 7 and Form Ones

Nancy Macharia Named Among the Cs Education Potentials

How Grade Six Learners Will Be Placed in Selected Junior Secondary Schools

List of Affordable Private Junior Secondary Schools Per County

KPLC Gives Customers 2 Weeks to Comply With New TIMS’ Regulations-See List

Stop Being Dishonest, Havi Tells KNUT, KUPPET

The bulletin comes in the backdrop of mixed reactions on the way forward for CBC, on whether it should remain or be abolished.

Upon his inauguration last Tuesday, President William Ruto said that he would form an education reform taskforce in coming weeks. President Ruto said the taskforce will collect views from all key players in line with the constitutional demand of public participation on CBC and how best to implement it. “There is a robust conversation in the country on education, in particular the implementation of the CBC curriculum. Public participation is critical in this matter. We will establish an education reform taskforce in the Presidency, which will be launched in the coming weeks,” said Ruto.

Ruto also said his government is aware of the anxieties of parents on the twin transitions of the last 8-4-4 class and the first CBC class in January next year. “I assure that there will be a solution to the matter before then,” said Ruto.

But at the weekend, the Ministry defended the critical role that CBC plays saying Kenya has set in motion an ambitious but essential review and reform of its education system. “The goal is to equip the students with requisite knowledge, skills and competences that will enable them to contribute in meaningful ways to society,” Magoha explained in the bulletin. His sentiments were echoed by Implementation of Curriculum Reforms, Principal Secretary Prof Fatuma Chege, who said that the Ministry is confident that in a few years the education outcomes will be different from today. “The learners under this innovative curriculum of CBC will have the right skills, values, knowledge and attitudes to effectively deal with local, regional and global, social, cultural, economic and technological demands. There will be new solutions, a drive to a better future and a new paradigm of teaching and learning,” she said.

Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) Chief Executive, David Njengere said that since CBC inception, the Council has been putting in place the necessary systems to facilitate effective Competency Based Assessment (CBA), while ensuring that the processes are credible and in line with globally acceptable standards. Contrary to complaints that CBC is costly, the Ministry insists it demands nothing beyond a delivery mechanism that requires enhanced imagination, creativity, skill and innovation among teachers. “It requires learners to be more attentive, curious, observant and inquisitive. It envisions learners who ask questions at school and home. Further, it expects learners to participate in activities that stimulate learning. The Ministry also stated that the curriculum content can be effectively taught without requiring parents or guardians to spend more buying things from the market or downloading materials from the Internet. Additional costs “The school and home environment of learners abounds with learning aids that teachers and learners can use without additional costs. All the topics taught in schools, particularly in primary, are based on the natural environment,” the Ministry explains. “It does not matter whether the ideas or concepts are about plant or animal life. It does not matter whether the ideas are about the nature and behaviour of living or non-living things. School and home environment is surrounded by all these things.”

The swearing in of President William Ruto has shifted focus to the possible line up of Cabinet Secretaries in his government.

In the ministry of education, a number of names have come up for replacements for the position of the CS, currently held by Prof George Magoha, who has also been fronted to continue heading the ministry.

National Parents Association Chairman Nicholas Maiyo called on President William Ruto to retain Prof Magoha for his zeal.

Prof Magoha served as the Kenya National Examinations Council Chairman and was credited for curbing exam cheating which had remained a blot to the country’s education system.

Read also:

List Of Most Selected Junior Secondary Schools Per County

Nationwide Public Views To Determine Fate of CBC

Equity Bank To Purchase Mwalimu SACCO’s Spire Bank Assets

Teachers’ Bumper Harvest in Ruto’s Government

Leaked: Ruto’s Proposed Cabinet

Gachagua Becomes A Darling to Teachers After Giving Them Irresistible Pledges

He also served as a Vice Chancellor at the University of Nairobi.

Maiyo further argued that the education system is undergoing transition hence the need to have Prof Magoha around.

Dr Belio Kipsang,who once served as the PS Early Basic Education, has also been fronted for the position of CS.

Dr Kipsang served as a PS at a time when the country was transitioning into the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

Consequently,the President might prefer Dr Kipsang to take charge and streamline the sector, which consumes the highest allocation of the national cake.

Dr Kipsang previously worked as the Deputy Chief Officer and the Head of Operations at the Higher Education Loans Board.

Appointed as PS in 2013, Dr Kipsang was one of the very few PSs to be retained for the same position after the 2017 elections.

Considered as a sober PS,the President might want him as the PS Education, notably Early and Basic Education.

He was transferred in the same position as the Regional and Northern Corridor Development in February 2021.

Dr Kipsang holds a PHD degree in Education Administration and Planning from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, a masters of Arts Degree in Economics and a Bachelors (Honours) Degree in Education (Business and Economics) both from the University of Nairobi.

Teachers Service Commission Secretary/CEO Nancy Macharia is another possible contender for the position.

Ms Macharia is serving her second and last term at the Commission hence she has the opportunity to stand tall and be counted as a CS or PS. Though she has a wealth of experience in teachers’ issues, she has had run ins with teachers unions especially on the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programmes.

Her appointment might also be an attempt to appease the Central Kenya voting bloc.

Former Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General and nominated MP Wilson Sossion has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.

However, his firebrand union politics put him at loggerheads with Education officials and TSC.

Having him at the ministry, some fear, will see him settle scores with TSC and education officials who stepped on his toes.

During his tenure as the Minister for Higher Education Science and Technology, President William Ruto demonstrated his passion for technical training hence the possibility of the Ministry of Education being split into two with two Cabinet Secretaries in charge

If this is done, Ambassador Simon Nabukwesi, the PS in charge of State Department for University Education and Research is a possible contender, in an attempt to also appease the Western region as a voting bloc.

A holder of B.Ed., M. Ed. in Education Planning and Management and MA in International Project Management, Amb Nabukwesi emerged a critical cog in the ministry as Prof Magoha assigned him roles outside his docket.

Amb Nabukwesi started his career as a High School teacher where he served as Deputy Principal and Principal of various schools between 1989 and 2009.

He once served as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Canada and other positions before he was appointed as the PS in February 2020.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha and a section of Parents want the incoming government to retain him and also to retain the Competency Based Curriculum. This push, according to the parents, has been informed by Magoha’s hands-on approach to management.

The National Parents Association (NPA) has appealed to President-elect William Ruto not to scrap the new education system but rather to streamline it by addressing identified hitches.

According to NPA, parents want a smooth transition of learners to junior secondary schools. Some politicians and parents have criticised the CBC programme as too expensive and confusing.

The APA lauded Prof Magoha for his commitment to the CBC, noting that parents are comfortable with him

“As parents, we want to congratulate President-elect William Ruto on his election as Kenya’s fifth President … We humbly request him to retain Prof Magoha as Education CS to complete the good work that he is doing to ensure a smooth transition to junior secondary,” said NPA chairman Nicholas Maiyo.

Read also:

Fabricate CBA Results at Your Own Risk, KNEC Warns Teachers

It’s Upto Ruto to Appoint Me or Anyone Else as education CS, Sossion

I Will Talk To Ruto Concerning My Retention as Education Cs, Magoha

List of Affordable Private Junior Secondary Schools Per County

Consider These Day Schools For Your Grade 7 Junior Secondary Selection In all Categories

Final  List of sub-county schools approved to host Junior Secondary schools

List of Day Schools Categorized Under County Junior Secondary Schools Per County

List of National Junior Secondary Schools With Day-School Wings

List of Regional Junior Secondary Schools With Day-School Wings

Final  List Of Approved Private Junior Secondary Schools Per County

Many parents, he said, are happy with the work Prof Magoha has done in revamping the Education ministry, especially in streamlining the Kenya National Examinations Council, resulting in a steady decline in examination malpractices.

The NPA said this is why he should be left to oversee the transition to junior secondary school.

“We know that it is the mandate of the new government to make its own decision, but it is our hope there will be a smooth transition,” Mr Maiyo said.

“The CS is hands-on and acts on issues raised immediately. He is a good administrator. If it is possible for him to continue working for some time, we have no problem.”

The NPA plans to make a formal appeal on the matter to the incoming administration once Dr Ruto is sworn in.

The association expressed fears that the strides made in enhancing the education curriculum would be watered down if the new government appoints someone who does not have CBC at heart like Prof Magoha.

Mr Maiyo cautioned against any move to abolish CBC, noting that it would demoralise parents, teachers and learners who are already invested in the system.

“Many parents, especially those whose [children] are set to transition from Grade 6 to junior high school, would like the programme to continue as it is, bearing in mind that they have invested heavily in it,” he said.

More than 10 million pupils have been enrolled in the CBC programme countrywide

Prof Magoha has been crisscrossing the country inspecting junior secondary school classrooms whose construction is at 90 per cent complete.

The Ministry of Education says 9,000 of the 10,000 planned classrooms are complete.

Some of the proposals coming from the parents’ association to the new administration are training teachers, ensuring uniformity and equipping schools adequately.

“Most parents have embraced the CBC programme. It is just a few parents still struggling due to teething problems. Schools undertake assignments differently,” Mr Maiyo said.

“In one school they have a projector while in another there is none, meaning learners struggle when undertaking homework. I think it is time to equip schools with projectors.”

The parents also urged the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development to publish clear guidelines on how school assignments should be handled, noting that some parents feel overwhelmed.

The parents lauded CBC, noting that it nurtures talent.

“It is the opinion of most parents that the curriculum should not be interrupted given the investment that has gone into it in the last six years. If there is any improvement, it is welcome, but it should not interfere with successes already achieved,” Mr Maiyo added.

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has defended his continued efforts to set up Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) classes in spite of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure coming to an end, saying he is only committed to fulfilling his mandate to the government.

Speaking in Lang’ata while inspecting some of the classes on Tuesday, Magoha pointed out that his actions were not to be misinterpreted to imply that he was only seeking to be absorbed in President-elect William Ruto’s government.

Read also:

List of Affordable Private Junior Secondary Schools Per County

Consider These Day Schools For Your Grade 7 Junior Secondary Selection In all Categories

Final  List of sub-county schools approved to host Junior Secondary schools

List of Day Schools Categorized Under County Junior Secondary Schools Per County

List of National Junior Secondary Schools With Day-School Wings

List of Regional Junior Secondary Schools With Day-School Wings

Final  List Of Approved Private Junior Secondary Schools Per County

He, however, intimated that if Ruto would deliberate on reinstating him following his work in the sector, he would not hesitate to be part of his cabinet.

“I am not looking for a job, you can take that to the bank. Nobody should mistake me that I am completing this work in order to be seen that I want this job,” Magoha said.

“But if in his wisdom the president-elect thought that I could even be half worthy to be considered, we will have a conversation with him because I have now connected with the children, the poor children.”

He added: “If we are thinking in the same direction and he gives me the support that I require, which means that I do things the way he wants and not any other person if it is God’s will I will say yes.”

Consequently, Magoha defended the ongoing setting up of CBC classrooms saying: “CBC is not a money guzzler, you just must make sure that you get the value for money. It is not going to be easy for government officers to get value for money because they have a culture of doing things in a particular manner.”

Magoha’s remarks follow perceived strife between him and Ruto that was witnessed during the August elections campaign period.

After the Supreme Court upheld Ruto’s victory on Monday, he will be sworn into office on Tuesday next week at Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani after which Ruto will be expected to name his new cabinet.