About Prof. Davy Koech

Davy Kiprotich Koech is a consummate corporate executive and an international scholar who has been tried and time-tested for over three decades.

Prof. Koech the Chief Executive of the Centre for Clinical & Molecular Sciences (CLIMS). The Centre is involved in cutting edge research into the better understanding of some of health challenges facing mankind and by doing so, the knowledge gained shall be shared among professionals and learners in the relevant fields. It shall also be utilized in providing better approach towards treatment and management of these conditions.

Prof. Koech is a Professor of Immunology & Molecular Medicinein a number of universities; and a Distinguished Professorat the Australian-Asian Institute of Civil Leadership.

Prof. Koech is a Chief Research Officer, founder member(1979) and the 3rd Director & Chief Executiveof the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), a position he held for a record 22 years (1989-2010), thus making him the longest-serving Chief Executive of a state corporation in the history of Kenya.

He has been a member(1985-90), the Vice-Chairman(1990-95) and the Chairman(1995-2003) of the Commission for Higher Education, Kenya; and the Vice-Chairman(1993-2003) of Council of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya. In addition, he is a visiting professorofImmunology and Molecular Medicine(1989-date) in a number of universities. Also, Prof. Koech was the Chairmanof the Commission of Inquiry into the Education System of Kenya (1998-1999) that came up with a report titled Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training (TIQET)recommending major changes in Kenya’s education system.

Prof. Koech holds three doctorates: Doctor of Science (DSc) from Moi University, and Cultural Doctorate (CuD) in Therapeutic Philosophy(1988) from the World University in the USA; a PhDdegree in Medical Pathology(1980) specializing in immunology awarded by the University of Nairobi but partly undertaken at the Harvard University Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA while he was a Fulbright-Hays Scholar; an MSdegree in Pharmacology(1977) specializing in Clinical Pharmacology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and a BScdegree (1974) obtained from the University of Nairobi. Prof. Koech is also a Chartered Biologist(CBiol)(1984), a member(MIBiol) (1984-96) and a Fellowof the Institute of Biology(FIBiol) (1997-date) of the UK, and a Fellow of the Institute ofProfessional Managers (FInstPM)(1985-date) of Great Britain. In addition, he is a memberof several professional societies including the Kenya Society of Clinical Pathologists, the Kenya Society for Immunology, the British Society for Immunology, the British Transplantation Society, the Royal Society of Medicineand the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also Honorary Fellow (HonFAAICL)and Honorary Distinguished Professorof the Australian-Asian Institute of Civil Leadership (2006). He is also a Fellow of Cambridge Association of Managers (FCAM).

For his postdoctoral work, Prof. Koech worked on the biology of parasitism at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA (1980) and at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Department of Academy of Sciences of the (then) USSR, Academgorodok, Novosibirsk, (then) USSR (1981).

Prof. Koech was among a group of scientists who in 1979 helped to set up KEMRI. He has developed an academic and health sciences research career investigating several immunological and other aspects of tropical and infectious diseases and has published widely in these areas with more than 268 published papers, in peer reviewed scientific journals and those presented in conferences, to his credit. In addition, he has authored books and co-edited several others.

He is best known for his direct contribution in research that, in 1990, led to the novel development of the drug, based on a formulation of a low-dose interferon alpha, for oropharyngeal use in the clinical management of HIV infections and AIDS as well as of viral hepatitis and related viral infections. He is also known for his pioneering work in the perfection of HLA tissue typing techniquethat led to the first living donor-related kidney transplant in Kenya in 1985. He has further introduced the DNA technologyfor this purpose. Since then, renal transplants have been routinely undertaken in Kenya. Recently, he has participated in the development of an insulin formulation, which is potential for oropharyngeal use in the clinical management of insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. He is also spearheading research into the clinical use of trioxolanederivatives in HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory infections as well a number of cardiovascular diseases. Two brands of this product have been developed and registered for use in the clinical treatment of HIV/AIDS (Alphamir) and arthropathies (Arthromir). He is also involved in the development of new products that employ the knowledge of epigenetics in the treatment of a number of diseases.

Prof. Koech has served as the Headof the Division of Vector-Borne Diseasesin the Ministry of Health (1981-84), Directorof Clinical Research Centreof KEMRI (1982-84) and Directorof the Biomedical Sciences Research Centre(1984-89) of KEMRI. He has supervised and/or examined more than 35 students for postgraduate (MMed, MSc, PhD) degrees of local and overseas universities and has been an external examiner in others.

Prof. Koech has also served in various committees of several international bodies including the World Health Organization, Commission of European Communities and the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency. He was a Member(2001-2004) of the Data Monitoring and Ethics Committee (DMEC)of the Kenya-Oxford-London HIV Vaccine Trials sponsored by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI); and aMember ofData and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) ofKenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) of the University of Nairobi. He is also afounder member of theBoard of Directors of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi),a Geneva-based international NGO. Prof. Koech was a Member of Selection Committee (Medical Research) of theHideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Committee, Tokyo, Japan.

Prof. Koech has been decorated with many national and international honours and awards and holds office in several professional societies. Some of the awards are the Distinguished Leadership Award(1986), the Commemorative Medal of Honour(1987), The World Lifetime Achievement Award(1998) and The 2000 Millennium Medal of Honour issued by way ofWarrant of Proclamation given in honour of his outstanding achievements and dedication to personal and professional goals, all by the American Biographical Institute (ABI); and three Presidential awards (State investitures): the Silver Star(SS)of Kenya (1984), the Order of the Grand Warrior(OGW)of Kenya (1989) and the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) (1998), for his distinguished service to the nation. He is also the National Chancellorfor Kenya (1993-date) representing the International Association for Educators for World Peace (NGO, UN and UNESCO). He is also cited in the International Register of Profilesand in the International Who is Who in Medicine, International Biographical Centre (IBC), Cambridge, England, from where he received a Certificate of Merit(1986). He is also one of the IBC nominees for the 1998 International Man of the Year andMost Creative and Successful Personalities of the World. In addition, Prof. Koech is a permanent Deputy Governor (DG)(1997-date) and Board Memberof the American Biographical Research Institute Association. Prof. Koech was also selected by the Governing Board of Editors of the ABI as a great mind of the 21st Century due to significant accomplishments within the area of Health and Education, and listed in the reference premier edition of Great Minds of the 21st Century. Prof. Koech is also the 2002 nominee for the United Cultural Convention’s International Peace Prize, and the basis for nomination being his impact on the international level of understanding and willingness to share his talents with others. In addition, Prof. Koech is the nominee of the International Who’s Who of Professionalsand the Ultimate Professional Directory has announced his selection as an Honoured Memberof the WHO’S WHO Historical Society for the Year 2003.

Prof. Koech is listed in the East African Standard’s Century Magazine(15 November 2002) as one of the Top 100 Achievers of the Centurywho influenced Kenya most. He is listed in the category of Teachers, Academicians and Educationists. In July 2007, he was listed as one of the Top 100Kenyans who have influenced Kenya most. Because of his commitment to excellence in public service, Prof. Koech is a recipient of a Gold Medal from the Geneva-basedFoundation for Excellence in Business Practice.

Through Prof. Koech’s efforts, KEMRI received the Kenya Institute of Management’s Company of the Year Awards (COYA)forCreativity and Innovationfor five consecutive years (2001-2006) and the Parastatal of the Year Awardfor 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007. KEMRI was the recipient of three awards during the 2007 COYA Awards. It received Corporate Planningand the Parastatal of the Year 2007 Awards. In addition, Prof. Koech received the CEO of the Year 2007 Award.

Prof. Koech was nominated for the 2006 Genius Laureateof the American Biographical Institute and his name was included in the 500 Greatest Geniuses of the 21st Century. At the same time, he was nominated by the same Institute forThe World Medal of Freedomfor 2006. In addition and through his leadership, KEMRI received a Certificate of Excellence in Performancefrom the Government of the Republic of Kenya in recognition for attaining “Very Good” status in Performance during the Financial Year 2005/2006. Through the quality leadership of Prof. Koech, KEMRI was one of the recipients of the 2007 International Quality Summit Award, Gold Category, in recognition of Commitment to Quality, Leadership, Technology and Innovationand the Award was announced during the 21st International Quality Summit Conventionin a ceremony to be held in New York, on 28 May 2007. The American Biographical Institute (ABI) announced the selection of Prof. Koech for the Institute’s esteemed MAN OF THE YEARrepresenting Kenya for 2009. This selection was for Outstanding Contributions to the Country as recognized by the American Biographical Institute. The ABI described Prof. Koech’s exclusive nomination as one of the finest in the country. As one of those selected few individuals who have made a significant enough contribution in his field to engender influence on a local, national and international basis, and through his constant efforts, has maintained a standard worth rewarding, Prof. Koech was listed in the IBC Leading Health Professionals of the World-2011. He was also inducted into the American Biographical Institute’s Hall of Fame for Distinguished Accomplishments(2011) 

Prof. Koech is the Chairman(1992-date) of The Davy Koech Foundation, a charitable trust that was, in whose name and honour, created in 1992 with the primary objective of promoting education, research, science and health. In addition, he is the Editor-in-Chief(1994-date) of the African Journal of Health Sciences, a premier publication to disseminate scientific discoveries and innovations and to provide a forum for communication of research results and policy issues in the health sciences and related disciplines. Prof. Koech is the founding President(1994-date) of the African Forum for Health Sciences (AFHES),a continental body whose aim is to promote health care delivery, research and training in Africa. Prof. Koech is a member(1988-date) of the International Council for Infectious Diseases, and amember(1995-date) of the Editorial Advisory Board of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. In November 2002, while at the WHO in Geneva, Prof. Koech was unanimously voted to be the Secretaryof Africa-basedForum for African Medical Editors (FAME),a new continental body whose aim is to collaborate with the WHO in the promotion and sustainability of good quality medical publications coming out of Africa.

Early Life

According to information available, Prof. Koech was born on 21 August 1951 in a small village, Motero, Soliat Location of the Kericho County. 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 where he sat the Ordinary Level of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, G.C.E. (Nov. 1968) and proceeded to Strathmore College, Nairobi where he sat for his University of London, General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level (Jan 1970) and further to the University of Nairobi completing in April 1974.