Jointly Owned Catholic University in Kenya Granted Charter, Urged to “promote access to affordable, quality education”

“Kenya now has 64 chartered universities, cementing the country’s status as a regional hub for higher education,” President Ruto said, and reminded CUE of its “almost sacrosanct mandate to ensure that our education, a tool for honing our most important resource, our human capital, meets the best possible standards.”

"If we want a society that is going to transcend many of the challenges that we have, we must get our education right," the Kenyan President emphasized, and explained, “It is how we are going to get professional doctors, professional architects, professionals in all other fields and it is how we are going to secure our nation going into the future.”

He went on to challenge “all faculty and staff” of TU and MUA “to remain dedicated to advancing knowledge and developing future leaders, nurturing the talents and aspirations of our students towards a future of limitless possibilities.”

Credit: State house Kenya

“To all stakeholders, I want to urge us as we award these charters to these two universities, you today get the power and the authority to be able to discharge the responsibilities that these instruments and this charter gives to you,” President Ruto said at the May 2 event that had Fr. Prof. Edward Etengu and Dr. Reuben Musyoka Mutiso appointed Chancellors of TU and MUA respectively.

He added, “As we celebrate these new charters, let us reflect on the transformative power of education in imparting values, fostering creativity and inspiring purpose, all of which contribute significantly to national development.”

Also speaking at the State House event, Kenya’s Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, looked back at the long journey towards the Charter, saying CUE had taken TU and MUA through “a rigorous process to ensure that they comply with the set standards and regulations.”

Credit: State House Kenya

Established in 1986 under the name, Theological Centre of Religious, TU had the original aim to form members of ICLSAL for ministry in the Church and society in Africa. Servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga, then Archbishop of Nairobi, blessed and formally inaugurated TU on 30 October 1987.

Since 1992, when the Nairobi-based Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) was granted the Charter in Kenya, the administratively autonomous TU became one of CUEA’s Constituent Colleges, particularly for academic-related matters.

It has been offering certificate, diploma, and undergraduate programs in its various institutes, a masters program in a couple of institutes, and doctoral program at the Institute of Social Transformation (IST)

The May 2 Charter award is the culmination of the process that  started way back in 2013 following the change in the regulations around the governance of universities and constituent colleges as stipulated in Kenya’s University Act, 2012.  

With faculty and students of well over 40 nationalities and more than 100 ICLSAL, the Karen-based TUC is a culturally diverse institution of higher learning that has “Teaching Minds, Touching Hearts, Transforming Lives” as its educational philosophy.

In his speech at the Charter award ceremony at the TUC Karen campus, the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen recognized the greatness of the day. 

Credit: Institute of Social Communication - Tangaza University

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“Today is the day that the Lord has made. Yes, He has given us this university, that it may be a university for all of us as Christ opened his Kingdom for all of us,” Archbishop van Megen said. 

Alluding to the meaning of Tangaza, the Kiswahili word for Proclaim/Announce, the Dutch-born Vatican diplomat said that the Lord has made May 2, with the granting of the Charter, that the “announcement of the mystery of our faith will resound throughout the world through this university.”

On his part, the Vice Chancellor of TU, Fr. Prof. Patrick Mwania, thanked all who have been part of the Charter process since 2013, adding that the May 2 achievement is a “testament to the unwavering commitment of our faculty, staff, students and partners who have worked tirelessly to uphold the highest standards of academic excellence and integrity.”

“You are a special university because you also host the seminary. This indicates a holistic approach in forming and preparing human resources for the church and society,” Fr. Mwania said, and recognizing the multicultural nature of TU, added, “You have a global pillar because of the 22 congregations forming their missionaries here that will serve at the global platform.”

Credit: Institute of Social Communication - Tangaza University

The presence of faculty and students from dozens of country’s also gives TU “a global position in human resource development,” the Kenyan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans) said.

“The award of the Charter is a great milestone and indeed a testament of credible quality education that takes place here at Tangaza. It is my deep conviction that with with this honour conferred on us, we will endeavor more to sustain and improve quality culture in our teaching, knowledge creation through research and community transformation,” he further said. 

“The award of the charter is surely not an end in itself, but the beginning of a relentless and vulnerable challenge as Tangaza struggles to establish a name for itself within the world of higher learning,” Fr. Mwania added. 

As a chartered university, he implored that TU keeps to its “niche and grow it so that you may continue to shine among other leagues of global universities to a future filled with the continued success, growth and meaningful contributions to society.”