Interviewer: Good afternoon. My name is Barongo, and we are working with Ogita Productions to prepare a documentary on the development of pharmacy practice and training in Kenya, and to celebrate the milestone of the UoN School of Pharmacy at 50. We’re glad you’ve agreed to take part. Could you kindly introduce yourself and tell us how you came into the field of pharmacy?
Prof. Kibwage: My name is Isaac Ongubo Kibwage. I’m a pharmacist and a professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Nairobi. I’m now retired and currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of Egerton University. I studied pharmacy in the class of 1979 — the second cohort at UoN.
Interviewer: What was your undergraduate experience like as part of that early class?
Prof. Kibwage: It was quite challenging because pharmacy was still defining itself within the medical fraternity. We had to establish our identity. I was active in student leadership and became the first chairman of the Nairobi Pharmacy Students Association.
Interviewer: After graduation, where did your career take you?
Prof. Kibwage: After my internship and registration, I earned a scholarship to study in Belgium at the Catholic University of Louvain. I completed my Master’s and PhD there by 1985. Upon returning to Kenya, I joined the University of Nairobi to teach pharmaceutical chemistry. Alongside teaching, I engaged in consultancy — for the government, WHO, and even sat on the WHO expert panel for dosage forms.
Interviewer: You’ve held many influential positions. How did you use those to impact the field?
Prof. Kibwage: I’ve been deeply involved in regulatory, academic, and policy work. I served as a member and then chair of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, where we drafted Kenya’s national drug policy. I helped establish the National Drug Quality Control Lab and contributed to WHO technical documents.
At UoN, I chaired the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry for nine years. I introduced the first Master’s program in pharmaceutical analysis. As Dean, I initiated training in clinical pharmacy. Later, as Principal of the College of Health Sciences, I facilitated the launch of programs in industrial pharmacy, pharmacoepidemiology, and clinical pharmacology.
Interviewer: You’ve mentored many professionals. Could you speak to that?
Prof. Kibwage: Mentorship is something I’m proud of. I’ve mentored many — including Prof. Thoithi, Prof. Abuga, and Prof. Ndwigah — and supported others in completing PhDs so they could rise in rank before retirement.
