MOMBASA, Kenya– Coastal Kenya is mourning the loss of Engineer John Thoya Maitha, the son of the late powerful cabinet minister Karisa Maitha, following news of his passing on Friday.
Thoya, a senior lecturer in the Department of Engineering at the Technical University of Mombasa, was remembered as an accomplished academic, a committed public servant, and a pillar of his community.
His death has sparked an outpouring of grief from across the Coast, including from senior government officials.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, in a message posted Friday morning, hailed Thoya as a dedicated scholar and mentor whose influence extended well beyond the lecture hall.
“Eng. John Thoya was a distinguished academic… deeply committed to community service, championing youth empowerment and grassroots development,” Mvurya said. “His mentorship and selfless service inspired many young people in his community to pursue excellence.”
I convey my deepest condolences to the family of the late Hon. Karisa Maitha and Mama Rachel Maitha on the passing of their beloved son, Engineer John Thoya Maitha, brother to Juney Karisa, Head of Public Communication at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and
Thoya, the third son of the late Karisa Maitha and Mama Rachel Maitha, is also the brother of Juney Karisa, who serves as Head of Public Communication at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports.
The late Karisa Maitha, who served as Minister for Tourism and Wildlife during President Mwai Kibaki’s administration, was a revered political figure in the region — and many saw Thoya as continuing that legacy through academia and public service.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, a long-time ally of the Maitha family, expressed deep sorrow, calling Thoya “a visionary who carried forward his father’s legacy of community service, unity, and progress.”
“We have lost a bright mind, a kind soul, and a true son of this region,” Mung’aro said. “To me, he was family, and I watched him grow into a principled leader with so much promise.”
I am deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Eng. John Thoya Karisa, son of the late Hon. Karisa Maitha and Mama Rachel Maitha. Eng. Thoya was more than an accomplished academic and senior lecturer at the Technical University of Mombasa, he was a dedicated son of the Coast, a
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi described the fallen scholar as a “true student of his father’s political ideologies,” rooted in service, equality, and Coast unity.
“We have lost a dynamic young man and true leader,” Kingi said in a statement. “Eng. Thoya’s passing is not just a personal loss for the Maitha family, but a significant blow to the region’s intellectual and social fabric.”
The untimely demise of Engineer John Thoya Karisa, the third son of the late Hon Karisa Maitha and Mama Rachel Maitha, has left us all devastated. Eng Thoya, who was a senior lecturer at Technical University of Mombasa, was not only an accomplished academic and professional, but
