Former Education Cabinet Secretary, the late George Omore Magoha, was credited for stopping a multi-million syndicate that involved leasing out red carpets during every graduation ceremony at the University of Nairobi (UoN) at a fee.
According to the former Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) in the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and Enterprise Development, David Osiany, Magoha stopped the syndicate during his tenure at the institution.
Through his tribute on Thursday, January 26, Osiany explained that Magoha weeded out the tenderpreneurship syndicate, which was collecting millions from UoN.
While alluding to stories at UoN about the red carpet scam, Osiany narrated that the institution was charged Ksh2 million for each carpet rented for a day during graduation.
However, Magoha used his position as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance to cancel the tender. Instead, Magoha fixed cabros on the graduation square.
"Stories are told of how when he became Deputy Vice Chancellor for Admin and Finance, he brutally stopped a cartel involving a gentleman who would supply a carpet to be used at graduation square each year," Osiany recalled.
"The gentleman charged Ksh2 million for each graduation day and you know what, it was to be hired and returned at the end of that day. Magoha cancelled that tender and opted to do cabro at the graduation square with an amount that would have been paid for two graduations hence ending that circle of wanton looting. So much to say," Osiany wrote.
Besides ending the scam at UoN, Osiany eulogised Magoha as an administrator who restored order at UoN, which had been rocked by frequent student unrest.
He adopted different techniques which helped him gel with student leaders.
"Magoha was uniquely gifted. He was a thorough administrator and also a cunning and shrewd politician. He knew when to treat students as his children and when to use threats."
"And by the way, there are times those threats were not empty but were brutal," the former CAS reflected.
Magoha was pronounced dead on Tuesday, January 24, at the Nairobi Hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. Attempts by medics to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
