How Magoha met his Nigerian wife

By , K24 Digital
On Wed, 8 Feb, 2023 15:09 | 2 mins read
The late George Magoha with his wife Barbara during their wedding in 1982. PHOTO/Courtesy

A eulogy booklet has detailed how former Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) the late George Magoha met his Nigerian wife, Barbara.

The 48-page eulogy and program for his internment on Saturday, February 11 shows the two met at the University of Lago's College of Medicine in 1979.

The two would date for three years before getting married in 1982.

"Prof. George Magoha met Barbara in 1979 at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos where she was a second-year medical student and he was training in surgery for the Fellowships of the Nigerian National Postgraduate Medical College and the West African College of Surgeons.

"They courted for three years as they completed their studies and qualifications. On May 15, 1982, Barbara and George got married in a Catholic Church wedding ceremony presided over by Rev. Prof. D. Schuyler, the then University of Lagos Catholic Chaplain,'' eulogy booklet read in part.

The two were blessed with a baby boy during the same year and named him Michael Magoha.

George Magoha and his wife Barbara with their son Michael in an undated photo. PHOTO/Courtesy

"They were blessed with their only child, Dr. Michael Magoha in the same year. George was a committed husband, father and grandfather who valued family at the core of everything.

"He ardently supported various Church projects and supervised each project personally. Prior to his demise, he ardently attended Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Nairobi," the eulogy book added.

Magoha's career

Magoha, who died on January 24, 2023 established his career in surgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital as an intern and rose to the position of Senior Resident and Clinical Lecturer in Surgery.

He also served as a lecturer in the same hospital and a Consultant Surgeon in various leading hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria.

He joined the University of Nairobi as a lecturer in Urological Surgery in 1988 and rose through the ranks to become a full Professor of Surgery in 2000.

He served in various administrative positions at the university, rising from chairperson of the Academic Department of Surgery in 1999, Dean of the School of Medicine, Principal of the College of Health Sciences, Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration and Finance to Vice-Chancellor in January 2005 after a competitive recruitment process.

Magoha served as Education CS between March 2019 and October 2022.

He died hardly a week after joining Maseno University as a Professor of Surgery.

Related Topics