PROF. GERALD MUNENE MUGERA (DECEASED)

The late Professor Gerald Munene Mugera was a Professor of Veterinary Pathology in the Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He held a Diploma in Veterinary Science (University of East Africa) and MSc and PhD from Michigan State University, USA. He was the first black African to be awarded a Ph.D. in the area of Veterinary Medicine in Africa. Prof. Mugera also held honorary D.Sc degrees from Egerton University (1999) and UoN (2000) and was a Fellow of the Kenya National Academy of Sciences (FKNA). Prof. Mugera joined the UoN in 1965 and played a crucial role in the development of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, one of the the oldest faculties of thee University.

He is the man who developed the curriculum for Veterinary Medicine suitable for the East African Region, which was accepted by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations for International Registration as a Veterinary Teaching Institution. He also developed a postgraduate programme in the Department of Veterinary Pathology, which for a long time was the only centre for higher education in Veterinary Medicine for East, West and Southern Africa. Prof. Mugera served as Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, for twelve (12) years, and as Chairman, Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, for fifteen (15) years. He rose through the administrative structures of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at a time when the teaching staff was predominately expatriate. Prof. Mugera recruited qualified Kenyan scientists into the academic staff of the Faculty, and in so doing proved himself a nationalist. Prof. Mugera carried out extensive research work on the causes of cancer in animals; and on the toxic and medicinal plants in East Africa. He was the first scientist to demonstrate that some toxic plants contain chemicals capable of inducing cancer of the liver and kidney. His research expanded knowledge with respect to certain plants, their properties, their medicinal, toxic and carcinogenic properties. He also carried out research on various diseases. Prof. Mugera supervised several MSc and PhD students to completion and published seventy five (75) papers in international journals and two text books. He attended many international conferences in all continents of the world presenting his research findings and has been entered into the Who is Who in the world book as a result. He was a member of the East African Veterinary Council and one of the editors of the Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa (IBAR). He joined hands with other scholars in founding and promoting the Kenya National Academy of Sciences and the African Academy of Sciences. He acted as External Examiner for veterinary students for universities in a number of other African countries.