Former KEMRI boss is dead

By Peter Ochieng

Former Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Managing Director, Dr. Davy Kiprotich Koech is dead.

His family announced that he passed on, on Thursday September 05, 2024, after a long illiness. He was aged 73.

He is credited for being a pioneering force in the field of immunology and molecular medicine, Dr. Koech made significant contributions to the global understanding of HIV/AIDS and other emerging tropical diseases, during the 1980s and 1990s.

His groundbreaking work earned him international recognition, including a nomination for the Genius Laureate of the American Biographical Institute in 2006, and a place among the 500 Greatest Geniuses of the 21st Century.

At just 28 years old, Dr. Koech became the youngest medic to lead the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), an institution he co-founded with Prof. Mutuma Mugambi in 1979.

Under his leadership of nearly 25 years, KEMRI became a beacon of innovation, notably in the search for an HIV/AIDS cure.

His stewardship enabled KEMRI to evolve into a powerhouse of research and innovation, particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Koech's close ties with powers that be, including the late President Daniel arap Moi, allowed him considerable influence to make positive changes, shaping both medical research and policy in Kenya.

Dr. Koech also chaired the Commission of Inquiry into Kenya's Education System in 1999, known as the Koech Report, which sought to overhaul and improve the nation’s educational framework.

The late Koech pursued higher education at the University of Nairobi, where he completed his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Zoology in 1974.

His academic pursuits took him further afield, earning a Master of Science in Pharmacology at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later a PhD in Medical Pathology, Immunology from the University of Nairobi, where he conducted his research at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Koech is survived by his family, who will announce funeral arrangements in due course.