Major General ( Rtd) George Agoi was one of the most powerful generals in the country. At the time Kenya was under attack from the terrorists in 1998 when the USA embassy in Nairobi was bombed, it was the Kenya Army General who led the rescue operation.
George Agoi told anyone who would listen he was pushed out of the military by seniors jealous of his splendid performance leading the rescue after the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy.
He led the multi-agency response team.
The retired major general believed to his grave he was retired in 2000 due to a witch-hunt and then the nation forgot about him
More than 200 people died in Nairobi and 4,000 were wounded in the terrorist blast. In Dar es Salaam, 11 died and about 85 were injured.
The nearly simultaneous suicide bombings were orchestrated by al Qaeda on August 7.
In a 2009 interview, Agoi claimed his problems started upon conclusion of his mission and there was a plot to edge him out.
He said, however, he was not bitter and didn’t hold grudges.
Agoi died on August 2 2021 and was buried on Tuesday, August 11 2021, at his farm in Soy Scheme, Roberts Village, Likuyani in Kakamega county.
Then a major general, Agoi rose to national and international fame when he coordinated the bombing rescue mission. He gave periodic televised updates to the nation, saying the bombings seemed well-thought-out.
The bombing was also a national embarrassment.
He said the international community praised his leadership in response to the disaster. He received numerous invitations to facilitate disaster preparedness and response meetings abroad.
He said he was invited to Israel, the United States and South Africa, among other countries. He claimed he was denied clearance to go.
“I sensed all was not well after the rescue mission in which I coordinated all teams,” he said.
He believed, to his grave, his exemplary leadership was the genesis of his problems. He even claimed his efforts to attend bomb blast remembrances had been blocked.
Not long after the mission, President Daniel Moi appointed him Kenya’s ambassador to Ethiopia in December 2000.
Agoi complained the appointment was just a soft landing after being dismissed from the government.
“When my services in the military were terminated and subsequently I was appointed ambassador, I realised I was being pushed out of government,” he said
The retired soldier tried his hand at politics when his posting as a diplomat ended, unsuccessfully vying for the Lugari parliamentary seat in Kakamega.
That was before Lugari was split into present-day Lugari and Likuyani constituencies.
Agoi is survived by his widow Emily Ayuma Agoi and four children. He also leaves behind three grandchildren.
Family and friends describe him as a warm-spirited family man who approached every task with dedication.
