Professor Joseph Mairuta has been appointed as the acting Vice Chancellor (VC) of Kisii University after Professor John Sarano Akama retired from active tutorage on Friday.
“Issues of learning and promoting knowledge-based economy is for everybody and has to be moved away from elitist perspectives and should and should be able to engage all members of society particularly the common citizenry.”
This quote encapsulates the pedagogical career of outgoing VC Prof. Akama who had become a household name at the University for more than two decades.
But who, really, is this smart scholar?
Prof. Akama was born at Ng’oina tea estates in Kericho county to Mama Teresiah Kwamboka and Andrew Akama and was named Sarano after his grandfather.
The only vivacious lad among three sisters moved to his paternal home at Mecheo in Borabu constituency, Nyamira county to undergo initiation.
In one of his books he wrote, “My voice had not broken when my father decided that I was ripe for initiation. This was during Christmas holidays in 1968 when we were now fully settled in Borabu.”
After the end of the seclusion period, Akama continued with schooling at Mecheo Primary school where he competed favourably with his friends such as David Marshall, Huron Obara, Ochimbo Nyakundi and Charles Omoriba and attained impressive results enabling him to join form one at Itibo Boys High school in the county.
“Professor Akama was my classmate in 1971 and 1972 alongside his elder sister who is now a retired primary school teacher. We sat in adjacent rows and I remember he was very bright and orderly,” said Obara.
The zealous Akama proceeded to Kamamega High school where he qualified to join the University of Nairobi (UoN).
Before joining UoN, he had a short stint at Mecheo Secondary school near his home where he taught as an untrained teacher.
In his book, ‘Undeterred: A rural boy’s journey to the pinnacle of academia’ Akama says that he could have settled in the USA for life but a bout of sickness forced him to return home unaware that it was a predestined call to accomplish more at home.
After teaching at Egerton University Kisii Campus for a long time, he was appointed as the pioneering Principal at the university in 1994.
Later, when Kisii University became a fully-fledged university, Prof. Akama was appointed as its first VC by the late former President Daniel Moi.
Since then, he has turned the university around from an enrolment of 300 students to over 25,000 students studying different programmes with Law, Medicine and Journalism standing conspicuously at the centre of the institution.
As he retires from the institution, Prof Akama will be remembered for steering the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with a number of global higher institutions of learning including Universities of Minnesota, Kentucky and Florida in the United States of America (USA).
Others who signed MoUs for collaboration and study expansion support include; Durban University of South Africa, Sheffield University and Hallam University in the United Kingdom (UK).
The Professor conceived the School of Conflict and Resolution Management where more than 20 Abagusii Council of Elders held their first graduation last year.
The outgoing VC has penned many journals, periodicals and books, majority of them based on economic and historical growth, wildlife conservation and the environment.
Other literature he has written are ‘The Untold Story of Otenyo’ and the latest, ‘Enchengeria’, an Ekegusii language dictionary.
Asked if he has any plans to continue writing, he said that reading and writing are close to his heart.
“I am planning to write a book that tries to find underlying factors causing poverty, underdevelopment and degradation of the environment,” he said.
He noted that retiring professors and great scholars are not celebrated during their retirement unlike other public figures such as politicians who go home with goodies.
During this year’s Kenya University Biennial Funding Conference, he asked the State to appreciate retiring Professors as a sign of work well done.
“Professors do great work of molding society but it seems that they are left to blow their own trumpets. Let dons be rewarded for a job well done,” he said.
Kisii University staff and students have, time and again, praised Prof. Akama’s quiet but effective leadership.
His Secretary Mrs. Mogeni said that the Professor is a strict but fair disciplinarian.
“I will not regret having served under such a focused academician and fatherly administrator,” she said.
What lingers in the minds of the Professors’ admirers is the question of whether he will leave his ways of being an academic champion after retirement and plunge into politics as others do then end up being slaves of corruption.
However, they expect more goodies from Prof. John Akama’s brilliant mind. He should retire but not tire.
By Our Reporter
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