Former Education Principal Secretary (PS) Karega Mutahi has been confirmed dead.
In a statement, former Kenyatta University (KU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Olive Mugenda has mourned Karega as a pragmatic leader who got work done.
“So sad to lose my good friend and former boss, Prof. Karega Mutahi, former PS Mistry of Education. He was the pragmatic PS who got the assignments right and got the work done,” Karega said.
Mugenda recalled how Karega accepted to chair (as a consultant) the operationalization committee that she appointed to oversee the process of operationalizing the Kenyatta University Hospital (KUTRRH) when construction was almost complete.
She explained that his critical report contributed immensely to what was used as a basis for running the hospital when she was appointed the Chair of the Hospital Board.
“As PS MoE, Prof supported the Vice Chancellors during my time as VC-KU and his support and hard work contributed to our ability to post good performance and transform KU the way we did,” Mugenda said.
The former VC said Karega’s contribution to the education sector and KUTRRH in that critical operationalization committee will find its place in the book pages when the story is written.
Additionally, she sent her condolences to the family, friends and the entire education fraternity.
“May Prof. Mutahi’s soul rest in peace after an illustrious and effective public service career. My sincere condolences to Mrs. Karega, the children, family, education fraternity and friends,” Mugenda said.
Karega Mutahi Tenure as Education PS
He served as Kenya’s PS for Education from 2003 until 2010.
His tenure saw him implementing educational reforms and overseeing significant programs like free primary education.
However, his term was also marked by controversies, including a financial scandal in 2009 involving misappropriated funds intended for schools.
Despite these challenges, he continued as PS until he was replaced in 2010 by Prof. James Ole Kiyiapi following public scrutiny and calls for accountability.
Other ministries that he served under include Agriculture, Livestock Development and Marketing, Office of the Vice President, and Planning and National Development.
Karega also served as the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGTRC).
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Education
In a past interview, the former PS narrated that he never attended secondary school.
Karega said that he sat for the Certificate of Primary Education in 1963, scoring an A in English, B in Mathematics, and a D in the general paper.
“I never went to any high school. In fact, in primary school, I had to repeat a class in primary,” he said.
He was employed as an untrained teacher at Kiru Primary School in Murang’a after finishing his elementary studies.
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Karega later joined Kigari Teachers Training College where enrolled for the Kenya English Test, and later sat the Kenya Junior Secondary Examination (KJSE) which was sat for at Form Two level.
He passed his KJSE and enrolled for O-level exams in 1967, scoring a Second Division, then enrolled for A-level exams in 1968.
He later sat for the mature age entrance examination, then administered by the University of East Africa, and passed, allowing him to gain admission to the University of Nairobi in 1973 where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and scaled higher
Karega later acquired a Master of Arts in linguistics from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in linguistics from the University of Nairobi.
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