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.

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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.

Central Organization of Trade Unions, COTU, Secretary General, Mr.  Francis Atwoli, has revealed that he supports Education CS, Prof George Magoha, despite the latter being condemned for publicly insulting a ministry official.

During his interview on KTN News, the COTU boss faulted the Uasin Gishu CDE, Gitonga Mbaka, for not preparing Langas Primary School in an organized manner, ahead of Magoha’s visit.

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“The man appeared not to know anything…whether the CS was coming. During our days, if the CS was coming to your area, all schools would be cleaned a week prior to his visit because you do not know where the CS will end up,” argued Atwoli. “The CS is a direct representative of the President…and the President cannot support indiscipline in schools.”

Atwoli mocked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for investigating the incident, terming it unworthy of any serious investigation.

“There must be discipline in our institutions and we must have disciplinarians. When the CS says this is indiscipline…the school is filthy. Some schools have no toilets, are not fenced…classes are not clean…yet that is where we take our children,” Atwoli stated.

Atwoli just joins KNUT in defending the education cabinet secretary. The two unions do not agree with KUPPET over the Langas incident.

KUPPET has demanded an apology from the CS over his disrespectful remarks. Uasin Gishu KUPPET Secretary General Elijah Maiyo questioned the rights of the CS to insult the senior education director.

“We are saddened that the CS, a professor, could insult his fellow civil servant. The conduct of the CS was not expected of him and he should apologize to all the teachers. He should have questioned why the school was in such a state rather than rush to insult an old man,” Maiyo said.

Maiyo threatened the CS that teachers would file a complaint to the human rights department and that they would also cease to accompany him on educational tours, if he fails to apologize to the teachers.

In the video clip, Magoha heaped abuses and chased away Mbaka, blaming him for the untidy state of Langas Primary School.

Uasin Gishu County Director of Education Dr. Gitonga Mbaka has recorded a statement at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) North Rift regional office. This comes two days after he was invited by the EACC to record a statement, following claims of gross misconduct by education cabinet secretary, Professor George Magoha.

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EACC North Rift Director, Japhet Baithalu said that they summoned Mr. Gitonga to clear the air on the incident that occurred at Langas Primary School during an inspection tour by the CS a fortnight ago.

“We learnt this from the public that there were some issues that transpired and we wanted him to shed light on them,” Mr Baithalu said.

Minutes after recording the statement, Dr Mbaka said he had told EACC what he had to tell them. However, human rights groups, among them, Centre Against Torture, accused EACC victimizing the humble education official.

“We are apprehensive that this man (Mbaka) is being victimized because CS Magoha has not been summoned to record a statement. Prof Magoha is the aggressor while Dr Mbaka is the victim,” said Mr Kimutai Kirui, a member of the Centre against Torture group.

Mr Kirui requested President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack CS Magoha, calling him a bully who is not fit to hold any public office.

“We don’t want bullies in our offices. This is an outright abuse and misuse of office. Magoha should go home. I am afraid that Dr Mbaka, who is the victim here, may not be able to get justice because the aggressor has not been summoned to give his side of the story.”

Magoha accused Dr Mbaka of failure to inspect schools within his area of administration. It is however interesting enough to know that Magoha did not even know Dr. Mbaka, who happened to be his junior in the ministry. The viral video captures him asking, “Na huyu ni nani?”

Dr Mbaka was interrogated, together with Kapseret director of education on 19^th November while Langas primary school head teacher recorded a statement on 18^th November.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission EACC, has launched an investigation into an incident in which Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof. George Magoha publicly insulted and humiliated a ministry official.

Through a letter, EACC has summoned the victim, Dr. Mbaka, to record a statement over the incident at its Eldoret offices on Wednesday 18^th November 2020.

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“The commission, pursuant to its constitutional mandate as set out inter alia under article 252(1) (a) (d) of the constitution and section 4 (2) and 42 (10) of the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012, is investigation allegations of unethical conduct touching on the CS, Ministry of Education regarding an incident that occurred at Langas Primary School in Eldoret town on or about November 6 during a tour of the school,” read the letter signed by the EACC deputy regional head (North Rift region), Mark Ndiema.

“The commission has reason to believe that you have information that may assist in this investigation and would like to shed light and record a statement on the matter,” the stated.

“To this end, you are invited for interview and statement recording at EACC North Rift regional office on Wednesday November 18,” read the letter finally.

Last week, Public Service Commission withdrew from Magoha, of powers to carry out human resource functions at his ministry.

Magoha boldly responded to the PSC that only president Uhuru Kenyatta can stop him from carrying out his functions at the ministry.

“Unless otherwise directed by my appointing authority, I shall continue to perform all my duties and responsibilities with zeal and commitment and ensure all officers in the Ministry of Education perform their duties for the benefit of the Kenyan child, parents and all education stakeholders,” he said.

Uasin Gishu county director of education, Dr. Gitonga Mbaka, has finally responded to professor Magoha’s public humiliation. Magoha publicly humiliated Dr. Mbaka last week at Langas primary school, during his inspection tour of Uasin Gishu county.

Mbaka is not glad with the withdrawal of human resource powers from the CS but forgives him for he wants a peaceful retirement.

“I have forgiven the CS and I am focused on serving the country as I prepare for my retirement in March 2021 after over 35 years of service in the education sector,” said Mbaka.

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Mbaka recounts that the CS was satisfied with their preparations for school reopening once they had taken him around.

“Other officials and I had taken the CS around the classrooms at Langas Primary School and he was satisfied that there were enough desks, thermo guns, and even water points for washing hands,” Dr Mbaka remembers.

“There was, however, change in after he saw the media and turned the focus on me asking why the school was untidy.

“Efforts to explain to him that construction activities were going on at the institution bore no fruit.”

The CS demanded for the reasons why the school was untidy and Dr Mbaka moved forward to explain, but Magoha would not listen to him.

What followed were insults hurled by the CS to Mbaka, in full glare of cameras.

Though referred to as a fool by the CS, Mbaka still doubts if he is one. Mbaka is a holder of a doctorate degree from Northwestern Christian University in America, a Master of Education degree from Monash University in Australia, and a Bachelor of Education degree from Kenyatta University. Calling him a fool was the irony of our times.

“I have been receiving calls and text messages from my colleagues and directors at Jogoo House and even other officers who have also faced the same wrath from Prof Magoha, urging me to ignore what happened and concentrate on my work,” said Dr Mbaka.

Dr. Mbaka said it is the mandate of the PSC to take action against the CS and therefore he has left everything for them to decide.

“The PSC is my employer and I have left everything to them to decide. Any decision they make is up to them,” said Dr Mbaka.

He informs that he saw no valid reason to engage the CS in exchange of words.

“There was no way I was going to engage the CS in an exchange of words when there were pupils there. It could have been a sign of disrespect,” said the doctor.

Before working as a county director, He worked as a teacher; a quality assurance and staff training in the Ministry of Education;  and deputy director of youth training in the Ministry of Youth Affairs.

Magoha is not out of the hook yet for insulting and humiliating Dr. Gitonga Mbaka, the CDE Uasin Gishu County( watch video). In a new twist, Mbaka’s bark yard, Tharaka Nithi County, has joined in demanding an apology from the CS.

Tharaka Nithi county KUPPET Officials told Magoha to apologize to Dr. Mbaka and the Meru council of elders or get ready for curses from the Meru community.

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“Professor Magoha must also apologize to the Meru council of elders for insulting Dr, Mbaka, who hails from Tharaka Nithi County and is a member of the council,” said Patrick Gitonga, Tharaka Nithi County KUPPET executive secretary. Additionally, Mr. Gitonga says that Magoha should resign.

“ We are also going to call upon Njuri Ncheke so that they can may be call on the minister to apologize, failure to which, he will be cursed the Meru way.”

In his feeling, the county director or teachers did not deserve any blame for the untidiness of the school since the ministry has not even released money to pay the support staff’s salaries.

KNUT Tharaka Nithi branch accused Magoha of being a lone ranger, who never consults other stake holders in any matter, but bulldozes them to follow his one-man decisions.

In a statement that seems to contradict national KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion, KNUT Tharaka Nithi branch officials feel that Prof Magoha disrespects the teaching fraternity.

“We will mobilize teachers to lobby for the removal of the CS if he will not have resigned or apologized to the teachers by January,” said Ndia Gwatia, a KNUT Tharaka Nithi county branch official.

On the other hand, the professor has insisted that he was in the line of his duty and cannot apologize to a person who failed to execute his duties. He cannot change the way he does his things to satisfy Mbaka’s sympathizers.

The comical cabinet secretary for education, Professor George Magoha, is on the spotlight again. Residents of Eldoret were not impressed after the former KNEC boss fearlessly insulted Uasin Gishu County Director Of Education, Mr. Gitonga Mbaka.

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The cabinet secretary was in an inspection tour in Eldoret to assess the work being done by jua kali youths, who were tasked with making of desks to be supplied in schools within the county. The desks were being made at Eldoret polytechnic. During this tour, education stake holders within the county arrived at the scene to welcome Magoha.

The heads, alongside other stake holders, were to inform the CS about how prepared they are to reduce the infection rate of Covid-19 in learning institutions.

Mr. Gitonga was determined to give prof. Magoha a very crucial report. ‘Sir I have a report. This is what needs to be done,’ humble Gitonga said to the ‘omniscient’ cabinet secretary. Instead of giving him a listening ear, the professor instantly attacked him with insults.

‘Nikisema Wewe ni Mjinga nimedanganya? (Am I wrong to call you stupid?). You are talking about the report!..and we are talking about what is on the ground…’said furious Magoha.

Click here to watch full video.

The CDE attempted to ask for forgiveness but the CS got more annoyed and kicked him out of the meeting. ‘Unaeza enda (Just Go),’ he told the already deesteemed CDE, while pointing him the exit.

In his address to the media shortly after the incident, the CS made it clear that he does not deal with reports but rather deals with outputs.” I have noted that my field officers at the lower levels only follow me when I visit schools,” the CS claimed. He termed such moves as mere public relations, meant to deceive him that serious work is ongoing, yet on the ground, there is nothing to show.