Davy Kiprotich Koech (alias ''DK)'' (born 21 August 1951) is a Kenyan scientist. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer Centre for Clinical & Molecular Sciences; Professor of Immunology & Molecular Medicine; Distinguished Professor, The Australian-Asian Institute of Civil Leadership.

Early life and education

Koech was born on 21 August 1951 in a small village, Motero, Soliat Sub-Location of the

Kericho County Kericho County is one of the 47 Counties of Kenya, counties in Kenya. The county seats between longitude 35°02' and 35°40' East and between the equator and latitude 0°23' South with an altitude of about 2002m above the sea level. It borders ...

. His parents were Samuel Kipkoech (aka Kipruto) Mitei and Helen Mitei. He attended his early years of education at Soliat Primary School, some 4 kilometers from his home between 1956 and 1959 (Class 1-4) after which he proceeded to Sitotwet Intermediate School (now Torit School) (1960-1963) where he sat the Kenya African Preliminary Examination (KAPE) and then to Cheribo Primary School (1964) where he sat the Kenya Preliminary Education (KPE) exams. His secondary education was undertaken at the

Kericho High School Kericho High School is a Kenyan boys secondary school, located in Kericho, Kericho County about 3.9kilometers from Kericho Town CBD. The current principal is Dr Daniel Chelule. History The school started on 15 June 1959, with eleven boys and t ...

where he sat the Ordinary Level of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. G.C.E. (Nov. 1968) and proceeded to Strathmore College where he sat for his University of London, General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level (Jan 1970) and further to the

University of Nairobi , mottoeng = In unity and work , image = Uon emblem.gif , image_size = 210px , caption = Coat of Arms of the University , type = Public , endowment ...

completing in April 1974.

University education and related education

Koech attended the University of Nairobi where he undertook a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Zoology completing in April 1974. He later went ahead to acquire a Master of Science in Pharmacology specializing in Clinical Pharmacology at

Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened as the Pittsbu ...

, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA in 1977. Koech has a PhD in Medical Pathology, Immunology from the University of Nairobi, Kenya; research undertaken at Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA, USA in 1980. He has served in various positions in the Government of Kenya and other different organizations in the private sector and international bodies.

Publications

# 2019 Elliot D and Koech DK. Reimaging Science and Statecraft in Postcolonial Kenya. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. UK. 2019; London, UK # 1999 Koech DK (Chairman). Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training IQET Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Education System of Kenya. 1999; Nairobi, Kenya # 1996 Mungai JM and KOECH DK (Eds.). Demystifying AIDS in Africa. African Forum for Health Sciences. 1996; Nairobi, Kenya. # 1996 Mungai JM, Kofi-Tsekpo MW and KOECH DK (Eds.). Saving Africa from Drawing in Social Drugs. African Forum for Health Sciences. 1996; Nairobi, Kenya. # 1986 Kinoti SN, KOECH DK and Tukei PM (Eds.). Advances in the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Immunizable Diseases in Africa with a Symposium on AIDS: Proceedings of the Seventh KEMRI/KETRI Annual Medical Scientific Conference. 1986; Nairobi, Kenya. # 1985 Tukei PM, KOECH DK and Kinoti SN (Eds.). Recent Advances in the Management and Control of Infections in Eastern Africa: Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Scientific Conference, Nairobi, Kenya. KEMRI and KETRI. 1985; Nairobi, Kenya

Koech Commission

Koech was appointed by the former president of the Republic of Kenya

Daniel Toroitich arap Moi Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He was the country's longest-serving president. Moi previously served as the third vice ...

to head the

Davy Koech Commission The Commission of Inquiry into the Education System of Kenya commonly referred to as the ''Davy Koech Commission'' was a Kenya Government Commission established on 15 May 1998 by the then President Daniel arap Moi. The commission was led by Dr. D ...

that formed an inquiry into Kenya's Education System in 1999.

Controversies

In the 1990s, Koech, by then the Director of

Kenya Medical Research Institute ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and Dr. Arthur O. Obel, the Chief Research Officer published in two medical journals the initial results of the new found drug "Kemron" that was perceived from the preliminary study of 10 patients to cure AIDS. The drug was introduced in a public ceremony presided by Kenya's former President, Daniel Toroitch Arap Moi and the work of the new wonder drug discovered was hailed as a major step against AIDS and a win for African Science by the former Vice President and Finance Minister

George Saitoti George Musengi Saitoti, E.G.H. (3 August 1945 – 10 June 2012) was a Kenyan politician, businessman and American- and British-trained economist, mathematician and development policy thinker. As a mathematician, Saitoti served as Head of the ...

Kemron Kemron is the name of a drug which was released in Kenya in 1991 and was alleged to be highly effective in removing the symptoms of AIDS. When put under international scrutiny, the treatment was seen to perform no better than placebo. The advent o ...

was the trade name for a low-dose of

alpha interferon The type-I interferons (IFN) are cytokines which play essential roles in inflammation, immunoregulation, tumor cells recognition, and T-cell responses. In the human genome, a cluster of thirteen functional IFN genes is located at the 9p21.3 cyt ...

, manufactured form of a natural body chemical in a tablet form that dissolves in the mouth. Clinical trials of

funded by

WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...

in five African Countries did not find any health benefits reported by Kemri Scientists. Thereafter,

in a press release in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland termed

as an experimental drug of unproved benefit for HIV/AIDS treatment. The American National Institute of Health concluded that no one had been able to duplicate the effects claimed by scientists behind

drug. In September 2021, Davy Koech was found guilty of fraudulent acquisition of public property by Senior Principal Magistrate Victor Wakumile. The court fined Koech Ksh19.6 million which it added could be paid in two instalments failure to which he will serve a six-year jail term.

External links

Official WebsiteDavy Koech on twitter

References

__FORCETOC__ {{DEFAULTSORT:Koech, Davy Kiprotich 1951 births Living people Kenyan chief executives Kenyan scientists People from Kericho County University of Nairobi alumni Duquesne University alumni Kenyan immunologists