Real Heroes- Prof Ouma Muga
Those who know him describe him as a walking encyclopedia. They authoritatively claim that former Rangwe Member of Parliament who also served as an Assistant Minister for Environment in former President Moi’s government and at some point Secretary General of Ford Kenya under former Vice President the late Michael Kijana Wamalwa, Professor Ouma Muga is indisputably one of the most brilliant Kenyans to have ever walked on our soil.
Prof Ouma Muga first got public attention when he sat for Kenya African Secondary Education (KASE) at St.Mary’s Yala and emerged the best student countrywide. He sat for the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate in 1957 and still led nationwide. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from Makerere University, he enrolled for his MSC IN Australia and completed his PhD in fluvial geomorphology in a record time frame. Among his other achievements Prof Muga is credited with carrying out extensive research in Science. Of great significance is the famous one on Ozone Layer that earned him international recognition.
At Moi University, where he was appointed Vice Chancellor, he founded the School of Environmental Studies just before he got elected as Rangwe Member of Parliament in 1989 on KANU.
He served as an Assistant Minister but was later sacked by Moi after he joined the pro-multiparty crusade.In 1992 he got elected again to represent Rangwe on the newly formed Jaramogi Oginga Odinga led Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya(FORD Kenya)
.After Jaramogi died on January 20th 1994,power struggles emerged in FORD Kenya and Prof Muga opted to support the Wamalwa Kijana led faction where he later became Secretary General of the party.The Raila Odinga led faction joined the then little known National Development Party when the latter failed to take over FORD Kenya leadership by force.In 1997 due to Odinga’s ethnic influence in Luoland,Prof Muga lost his Rangwe seat.
Majority of those aged below 35(majority Facebook users) might not know Prof Muga but based on history, he easily qualifies for any reward meant for those who fought for genuine democracy in an honest way without compromising their principles at any time. Prof Muga no longer has the Marxist Patrice Lumumba hairstyle that was also characteristic of his role model friend and trade unionist the late Argwings Kodhek. I was privileged to bump into this great man today in downtown Nairobi. He told me of having been hospitalized recently with pneumonia but now feels better. Kenyans of goodwill know your real heroes, not those taking advantage of media attention and claiming absolute ownership of second liberation struggle. Looking at Prof Muga, you see a real victim of the struggle. Long live Prof. Joseph Ouma Muga.
Long live Prof. Muga. I have never followed the history of Moi University Vice Chancellor but will now dig deep.
GREAT prof
very nice
one in a million,Bravo!!!!
good work
Academic heroes never die,even when they do,they are reincarnated by their intellectual.
Your articles are unique and pass the copy paste test.
I used to see this man once in a while when i boarded the psvs to Rongai. I always thought he was a peculiar character. My hunch was confirmed when I found him one day seated at some hotel near the Railways Station engrossed in an absorbing conversation with one of the best grammar i had ever heard in my life. Wish I knew he was a big short professor.
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