Dr Davy Koech: Medical genius with many firsts in research rests

Dr Davy Koech, a pioneering figure in immunology and molecular medicine, is dead.

Koech died on Thursday, September 5, at the age of 73 after a long illness, his family confirmed. Born on August 21, 1951, Koech was the Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Clinical & Molecular Sciences.

He was a Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine at the Australian Asian Institute of Civil Leadership.

Koech was involved in advancing global understanding of HIV/Aids and other tropical diseases during the 1980s and 1990s.

His ground-breaking work earned him a nomination for Genius Laureate by the American Biographical Institute in 2006.

At 28, Koech co-founded the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) with Prof Mutuma Mugambi in 1979, becoming its youngest director. He led the organisation for nearly 25 years, establishing it as a global leader in research.

Koech produced numerous publications including, Advances in the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Immunisable Diseases in Africa and organised the Seventh Kemri/Ketri Annual Medical Scientific Conference in 1986 held in Nairobi.

He enabled Kemri to evolve into a powerhouse of research and innovation, particularly in the fight against HIV/Aids, a scourge that would soon devastate the African continent. 

In the 1990s, Koech, then the Director of Kemri, and Dr Arthur. Obel, the Chief Research Officer published in two medical journals the initial results of the newfound drug, Kemron, that was developed from the study of 10 HIV/Aids patients.

The drug was introduced in a public ceremony presided over by Kenya’s former President Daniel Moi and the work of the new wonder drug was hailed as a major step against the disease and a win for African science and was praised by the former Vice President and Finance Minister George Saitoti.

Kemron was the trade name for a low dose of alpha interferon, a manufactured form of a natural body chemical in a tablet form that dissolves in the mouth.

However, clinical trials of Kemron funded by World Health Organisation in five African Countries did not find any health benefits as reported by Kemri scientists. 

 The World Health Organisation in a press release released in Geneva, Switzerland, termed Kemron as an experimental drug of unproved benefit for HIV/Aids treatment.

The American National Institute of Health concluded that no one had been cured as claimed by scientists behind the Kemron drug.

His close ties with political leaders, including the late President Daniel Arap Moi, allowed him to wield considerable influence to make positive change, shaping both medical research and policy in Kenya.

Koech also chaired the Commission of Inquiry into Kenya’s education system in 1999, known as the Koech Report, which sought to overhaul and improve the nation’s educational framework. 

His illustrious academic journey began in local schools before he pursued higher education at the University of Nairobi, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Zoology in 1974. 

His academic pursuits took him further afield, earning a Master of Science in Pharmacology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later a PhD in Medical Pathology, and Immunology from the University of Nairobi. He conducted his research at Harvard Medical School.

Koech was last year found guilty of fraudulent acquisition of public property and fined Sh19.6 million or a six-year jail term.

He was accused of transferring Sh19.3 million from Kemri’s bank accounts to his accounts during his tenure as the managing director.

On August 16, 2006, some Sh800,000 was transferred from the institute’s account, another Sh6 million on December 5, and Sh12.5 million on December 13 of the same year.

The money at the heart of the case was said to have been allocated to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Kisumu.

He was also charged with an alternate count of using his position to access money meant for Vector Biological and Control Research. 

However, the professor asserted his innocence.

He told the court that he had reimbursed the amount in 2015. Koech said he had paid an extra Sh3 million as interest.

Koech was pardoned by the President.