31/01/2023
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.::"A loving, supportive and forgiving husband": Prof Magoha through the eyes of his spouse::.
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Former Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha's wife Dr Barbara Odudu Magoha has disclosed the light side of the renowned no-nonsense academia who passed away last Tuesday.
Dr Odudu who spoke at her Lavington home said that outside the seemingly ever-serious professor was a kind-hearted husband who adored family and showered her with love.
She described Magoha as ‘forgiving’ yet very caring throughout their marriage.
“There was so much argument but when he knew the other person is down, he will give up just for them. He was so forgiving, people never knew that. If you say you have a headache (in midst of an argument), he would ask if you got your medicines and the case would be closed,” she said.
“He would say, 'these are my reservations, if you can work on this, we can be fine…if not, we leave it that',” she explained how Magoha would rise through marital conflicts with the purpose of creating calm and ensuring peace for the other party.
Dr Odudu recalled an incident when she had delivered her son Dr Michael Magoha but was ailing from blood pressure thus she could not breastfeed like ordinary mothers.
She goes down memory lane saying the late CS tirelessly had to rise up before dawn and prepare six litres of juice to aid in her recovery every day.
“When I was pregnant with my son, I was in between life and death with my blood pressure…he told me that this is what pregnancy is all about. When I had my son, because of the blood pressure I didn’t have milk…By 6:30 am I always had six litres of fruit juice squeezed by him every morning before going to work,” she said.
As Dr Odudu expressed her grief following the demise of her beloved husband who succumbed to cardiac arrest, she said they had a cordial relationship that saw each support the other throughout their life endeavours.
“He was very supportive, I supported him and he appreciated it. That appreciation was so much and made me move a step further. If I had to sandal on one foot the whole night for him to achieve what he wanted the following morning…I would do it. Cause when it was over, he would come back and say, without you, I would never have done it,” stated Dr Odudu.
She added: “Saying I miss him is an understatement because we used to work like two major generals, we used to say he was commanding the first battalion and am in the second battalion.”
Prof Magoha died on Tuesday last week and is set to be laid to rest at his home in Gem Sub-county in Siaya on Saturday, February 11, 2023.
