By Amoto Ndiewo
The Garissa teaching fraternity and students are in grief following the death of long serving headmaster al Hajji Bishar Mohamed.
Garissa County Director of Information Esir Hussein said Mohamed had been hospitalised in Garissa after experiencing breathing challenges.
He was being transferred to Nairobi for specialised treatment but died at Kanyonyo, forcing the entourage to return to Garissa where he was buried according to Islamic rites .
At the burial, some Muslim scholars said one who passes on in the holy month of Ramadhan like now is a blessed soul.
Mohamed who was an Islamic scholar of great repute joined the noble teaching profession in 1981 and was appointed headmaster in 1985.
‘”He held the position utill he retired in 2017 and joined the Garissa County government as ECD County Director,’’ said his friend Ole Hussein.
A great mentor and role model Mohamed literally taught in all the outpost divisions of then Garissa district, eventually landing in metropolitan Garissa town at Al Farouk School before moving to Tetu where he retired in 2017.
“Having taught in all the outpost divisions of Garissa Mohamed mentored many pupils. Indeed his passing a real big loss, may Allah rest his soul in paradise, ’’ said Ole Hussein who is Garissa Municipality Chief.
Among those who paid tribute to the fallen gentle giant was Josephine Mwende who served under him before Al-shabaab started slaughtering teachers.
“Unlike other headmasters who hibernated in offices and wre not teaching , Mohamed was an accomplished teacher of social studies and Islamic Religious Education and other subjects ,’’ said Mwende.
She said Tetu was a big school with an enrollment of over 2,000 students and Mohamed decided to appoint two female deputies in a male dominated society.
Mwende, who now teaches in Kyuso said as a role model, Garissa local youth should emulate Mohamed and join the noble profession of teaching in droves.
