I stand here to eulogize my friend, my confidant, my intellectual competitor and my cousin, George Muyala Siboe George who passed away on Sunday the 3rd, May 2009 at the Medi Heal Referral Hospital , Eldoret after a long and brave battle with cancer.

 EARLY LIFE

George was born in 1954 in Kamabole Village , Mt. Elgon District.  He was one of the children of Mzee Neri Siboe and Mama Raeli Mukite Siboe, both deceased.  He is husband to Dorcas Simuli.  They have five children, namely: Gabriel Waliaula, Linnet Katami, Ruth Nabukuye, Zaccheus Makokha.  He leaves behind two grandchildren: Jesse Baraka and Abida Siboe.

 

EDUCATION

George and I became classmates when he joined class five at Chesikaki Primary School in 1967. Here and at that early age, George began to display attributes that would define the future professional that he became bright, cool, thoughtful, reflective, resilient and deeply intellectual. Further, it is here that the intellectual competition between the two of us began. George sat his Kenya Primary Certificate examinations in 1970 and passed very well, so did I. Thereafter, he joined Musingu High School , Kakamega, while I joined Lugulu Girls’ High School. He and I sat for our ‘O’ level examinations in 1974. He passed exceptionally well in his “O” level examinations, achieving first Division with twelve points. So did I.  This afforded George a place at a national school, The Lenana School where I got admission to a national school, the then Highlands School , Eldoret but later changed to Kipsigis Girls’ High School. We sat for “A” Level examinations in 1976. Here again, he passed exceptionally well, scoring the maximum three principals and a subsidiary pass. So did I. From Lenana School , he joined Nairobi University , Faculty of Science. I joined the same institution in the Faculty of Law. At the end of three years, George graduated with a Bachelor of Science Honors Degree, (2nd Class Upper Division) Majoring in Botany and Zoology in 1980.

Because of his hard work and determination, George never stopped there.  He continued with Master of Science (Mycology) in the same University where he specialized in Mycology.  After five years of learning he earned himself a Scholarship to do his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), at the University of Reading, U.K. in June 1989 and still specialized in Mycology.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

After completing his University Education, George started working as a High School Teacher at Starehe Boys Centre, Nairobi .  After some years he left Starehe and was employed by Ministry of Livestock Development, Kenya , as a Research Officer (Entomology). He then joined University of Nairobi as a postgraduate (Msc.) Student/Graduate Research Assistant and also worked as a Lecturer in Mycology in the same University.  He has been an External Examiner (Undergraduates) at University of Dar-Es-Salaam Tanzania , Jomo Kenyatta University of Science And Technology, Maseno University and Egerton University .  He also worked as an External Examiner for Postgraduate in the University of Dar-es-salaam, Botswana , Moi University , Jomo Kenyatta and Kenyatta University . He has also worked as Senior Lecturer in Mycology, University of Nairobi .  George also did Research Collaboration: visiting Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences , University of Sussex UK . 

George was a member of the Bio-NET – International Global Network for Taxonomy , Kenya Society of Microbiology and nominated member of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Experts Group.

He formulated the Bio-technology policy which is the official government policy today. He was the brain behind the drafting and enactment of the Country’s Bio-Safety Law.  George was also the Chairman of the National Bio-safety Committee based at the National Council for Science and technology. He was also the chairman of the national Biosafety Committee which is based at the National Council for Science and technology. At the time of his demise, George was a Professor at the Masinde Muliro Univesity of Science and technology, having served Nairobi University with distinction in that capacity.

RESEARCH WORK

He has been involved in research on Mycotoxin Contamination in Major Cereals and Legumes and its effects on Human Health in Kenya , sponsored by Rockefeller “Foundation and the Third World Academy of Sciences.  He championed Research into the effects of Aflotoxin, a fatal toxic substance found in contaminated food after several people in Ukambani died after eating contaminated maize a few years ago.  He identified the type of fungus in the maize.

PUBLICATIONS

George has published widely among others in:  

• The Cashew (Anacardium accidentale L.) Powdery Mildew Disease epidemic in Kenya . 
• Investigation of banana leaf speckle in Africa
• Genetic similarity among cercospora apii-group species detected by PCR/RFLP analyses of the DNA internal transcribed spacer(ITS)
• Necrotrophic fungi from Kenyan endemic and rare plants
• Training for Fungal and Invertebrate Taxanomy for the utilization and conservation of Biodiversity.
• Plant essential oils with promising antifungal activity
• Colonisation of resistant and susceptible bean tissue by phaeoisariopsis griseola(Sacc.)
• Plant disease Data in planning for sustainable use of African Mountain Forest Resources: Problems and Opportunities

SOCIAL LIFE

It is his great credit that despite the intense national and international engagements, George reserved time for local community development activities. He was a founder member of the Tazama Welfare Society, a local clan welfare society and was its treasurer at the time of his death.  Through this society he wanted the youth of this area empowered economically as well as academically nurtured so that they can excel in life.

Here is a man he had achieved national and international acclaim in Science.  What business did he have caring for all of us and referring to all his female cousins ‘bakhana base’?  But then, that was George.

George was diagnosed with cancer while in the United Kingdom at the University of Reading . He got good treatment and for a long time, he did not suffer from it.  It however, manifested itself recently, making him a constant guest at hospitals. At all times when George went down with the disease, he displayed amazing resilience, courage and faith. I saw him in situations of near death in hospitals but he survived to forge ahead in life on his borrowed time. His deep faith made him wade through tough times, but his day had come.

We may bury the body of George today, but, through his written words and teaching, George will never die.

George was a deeply committed Christian. Funerals for we who are Christians represent sadness at a temporary separation.  We will always have George in spirit but we cannot help but grieve at all our loss.  Jesus said “in my father’s house are many rooms……”  When we some day join George in that House, I know that he will have explored every room and helped to prepare them for each one of us!

FARE THEE WELL GEORGE, TILL WE MEET AGAIN.

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