Fare thee well Dr. Fernando Wangila

On Friday 19^th June 2020, the IT fraternity in the East Africa space woke up to the saddening news of Dr. Fernando Wangila passing at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, following a short illness.

Dr. Wangila was, until his demise, the Senior Deputy Director and Head of ICT and Innovation an equivalent of (Chief Information Office – CIO) at the Kenya National Transport and Security Authority (NTSA).

During his tenure at the mobility corporate, Dr. Wangila embedded technology in the management of road transport in the country, facilitating the modernization of motor vehicle registration through an online system. He steered the team behind the Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS), a database that stores centralized road transport data available to the public that aimed at using data to improve service delivery and compliance, integrating data for private proxies in the transport sector.

TIMS is a testament to his commitment towards transparency, linking different databases to one identity, which improved the speed of service delivery at the NTSA. He was involved in the deployment of smart drivers’ licenses, with intent to reduce fraud an initiative that earned him the East Africa CIO of The Year 2017.

He would later in 2019 get inducted into the CIO Hall of Fame, the highest-ranking and prestigious position for an industry veteran, during the 2019 CIO100 Symposium and Awards Ceremony, attended by the Cabinet Secretary of ICT, Joe Mucheru.

Owing to his inspiration and infectious zeal and commitment to duty, the ICT Cabinet Secretary, recently appointed him a member of the ICT COVID-19 Committee to support the country amidst the ongoing pandemic.

Dr. Wangila will be fondly missed by his family, friends, and colleagues, particularly those at CIO East Africa where he had a thought leadership column on IT.

Friends and family of the deceased have since shared their heartfelt farewell and attribute messages on social media, lauding him as a results-oriented and competent Business Transformation and ICT professional, who had an ardent love for Golf.

His cottage lays at Montenzuna Monalisa Funeral Home in Nairobi, from where it will leave on Friday 26th June for his parents home in Bungoma. He will be laid to rest on Saturday 27th June. Family and Friends meet daily at his Kileleshwa home for funeral arrangments.

As we fare you well, we commit to having your memories live in our hearts.

“The Graveside is just where you lay.”  Peace!