As the country prepares to vote in a new administration on August 9, plans are underway on ensuring a smooth transition of power from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.
A new regime comes with wider scale changes and Cabinet Secretaries are among the first to be replaced as an incoming President lays foundations for his or her legacy.
Speaking on the transition, Education CS George Magoha stated that he was worried for his successor, who he challenged to maintain the bar he had set in the sector.
The CS was concerned that the new office-bearer may grapple with sustaining his achievements and maintaining the credibility of the docket.
“I urge Kenyans not to slide back irrespective of what transpires. For the incoming administration, whichever it is, no condition is permanent, but for our children, being in school is permanent,” stated Magoha while supervising the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination on Tuesday, March 15.
He noted that he ended exam malpractices during his tenure as the chairman of the Kenya National Examinations Council and enforced the same after succeeding Interior CS Fred Matiang’i as Education CS.
“I stopped exam cheating. In our universities, there are students of international calibre and our qualifications are respected worldwide,” Magoha noted.
The CS, nonetheless, wondered at how Kenyans perceived him, defended his legacy and argued that he worked hard to improve the education sector.
“It is hard for leaders to acknowledge our success. We have cut down construction costs of classrooms from Ksh1.2 million to Ksh788,000. These projects are better than what others built.
“I don’t see Kenyans happy about the progress. This is very strange,” Magoha lamented.
In past interviews, the CS reiterated that he was with tasked reforming the education sector and raising standards in the country, a responsibility he confidently feels he has perfectly executed.
Magoha, while speaking during a graduation ceremony at the United States International University (USIU) on Friday, November 20, did not shy to state that everything he touches turns to gold and failure is not part of his vocabulary.
"You know an eagle is a bird that flies above the others. I am one of them and I am proud of myself.
"I stay up and just look at people making noise down there,” Magoha advised graduands to emulate him and horn their skills rather than just acquiring certificates.
