Mugenda buried amid accolades from leaders

DP William Ruto condoles Prof. Olive Mugenda during the burial ceremony of his late husband Prof. Abel Mugenda at Thogoto teachers college in Kiambu.

Leaders have eulogised the late Prof Abel Gitau Mugenda as a great scholar and articulate writer who helped professionals learn research work, monitoring and evaluation.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, in a speech read by Deputy President William Ruto yesterday at Thogoto Teachers College, Kiambu County, described the late Mugenda, husband of Judicial Service Commission member Prof Olive Mugenda, as a scholar who imparted young people with skills and knowledge.

Sharing knowledge

“The late Prof Mugenda’s love of sharing knowledge by publishing several books and sharing skills endeared him to many. May God give courage to his family and Kenyans during this difficult time to bear the loss,” said President Kenyatta.

Ruto said the late scholar made great contribution to the education sector. “The loss of Prof Mugenda is not just to the family and academic fraternity but the country at large,” said the DP.

Present were Cabinet secretaries Margaret Kobia (Public Service), Sicily Kariuki (Health), Amina Mohammed (Education), Chief Justice David Maraga, governors Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) and Francis Kimemia of Nyandarua.

Amina and Kimemia described the late scholar as a great education leader, saying his role in the development of the sector was unmatched. CJ Maraga said the professor touched lives of many through the books he authored. “We are here to mourn a great Kenyan whose humility was profound,” he said.

At the same time, DP Ruto assured the Judiciary of Kenyan’s confidence in its work and asked the institution to discharge its mandate diligently.

“I want the CJ to know that we have confidence in the Judiciary. It is the expectation of all Kenyans that it will discharge its duties in accordance with the mandate it enjoys in the Constitution,” he said.

The DP said the government would continue to reform the education sector to be relevant to the needs of Kenyans.

“We want to have a system that responds to the needs of the nation,” said DP Ruto.