By Josephine Nkuubi

The Kenya Institute of Special Education is mourning the sudden demise of Mr. Habat Sheikh Abdi, OGW, the Chairman of the KISE Council.

In an announcement made this morning at a meeting, Dr. Norman Kiogora, Director KISE, informed  both staff and students of his demise on Sunday 7^th June 2026. He expressed profound sorrow at the loss of an education administrator whose career spanned four decades of transformative public service in education.

Mr. Habat, was appointed to head the KISE Council August 26, 2022. He was well known for his commitment to corporate governance, legal compliance. As Chairman, brought international best practices to the management of Special Needs Education in Kenya. His decades of distinguished service previously earned him the prestigious presidential award, the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW).

The Director further credited Mr. Habat with steering a historic era of academic and infrastructural transformation.

“Mr. Habat was a passionate advocate for inclusive education and his legacy of selfless service will remain etched  forever in this Institute.” he said

Under his visionary stewardship, KISE witnessed tremendous institutional development. During his tenure he successfully launched capital projects. Among his landmark achievements was the establishment of  Parental Empowerment Centre  and the  Education Resources and Assistive Devices Factory.These projects are near completion and are  aimed at empowering communities and expanding access to resources for learners with disabilities in Kenya and beyond.

Determined to bridge existing gaps in the country’s special needs framework, Mr. Habat pushed for the introduction of highly specialized short courses at the institute. These include  certificate programs in Autism, Caregiving, and Speech and Language. Additionally, he was keen on utilization of technology in  delivery of training programmes and citizen service provision.

His leadership was also characterized by a deep belief in cross-sector partnerships.  As a front player in implementing the KISE strategic plan 2023-2028, he led strategic partnerships that facilitated the large-scale training of Kenyan public servants in Kenyan Sign Language (KSL). This serves as a major milestone toward making public services  accessible. To ensure services reached the grassroots level, he spearheaded the revamping  of regional Functional Assessment Centres across the country.

KISE also prides in him  not only as visionary Leader, but as a KISE Alumni who valued the output of  Corporate Staff. As such he oversaw the continuous upgrading of staff, fostering a culture of excellence, discipline and Professionalism.

A scholar and seasoned technocrat, Mr. Habat held a Master of Education degree from Moi University, a Bachelor of Education (Honours) from the University of Nairobi, and a Diploma in Anti-Corruption from the International Institute of Education and Planning. He was also an alumnus of the Strategic Leadership Development Programme (SLDP) at the Kenya School of Government.

KISE Management, Staff and Students extend their heartfelt prayers to his family, friends, and colleagues during this time of mourning. He will be buried today the 8^th of June 2026 in Garissa County.