intra-cuea news - EMANUELE CHIRCO

No. 40-42 July - September 2009
INTRA-CUEA NEWS
“Consecrate Them in the Truth”
VICE-CHANCELLOR: Let’s Live as a Family of God, bound by a
Common Purpose of building a New Humanism anchored on Love and Truth
Inside
CUEA Hosts Successful International
Conference on Peace, Justice and
Reconciliation.........................................
Dean of Students Office’s Implements
Rigorous Orientation for New Students.....
CUEA Student Wins Miss
University Kenya Beauty Pageant...........
CUEA Marketing Team Mounts Aggressive
Campaigns in Western, Central and Nairobi
Provinces...............................................
Vice-Chancellor Participates in Commonwealth Education
Conference in Malaysia..........................
CUEA at 25.............................................
CUEA Wins over KShs 1.17m Awards in Zain
Africa Challenge . ..................................
College of Holy Cross Students
and Professor Visit CUEA.........................
Dean of Theology Celebrates Priestly Silver
Jubilee!.................................................
Feature: Pastoral Ministry on Campus.....
Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof. John Maviiri, addresses the University Community during the Convocation
T
he Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof.
John Maviiri, has called on members of the CUEA community to
live as a family of God whose common
purpose is to build a new humanism
founded on the virtues of love and truth.
He said this during the Academic Convocation on August 17, 2009.
Chaplaincy Releases Trimester Schedule of
Thursday Holy Mass...............................
VC praises students for
all-round excellence
CUEA Hosts Arts Group...........................
Prof. Maviiri noted the co-curricula exploits of CUEA students
Editor
Sewe K’Ahenda
Graphics Designer
Norberto Ashiona
Printer
Dennis Muthengi
News Team
Bernard Lusuli (PR Officer)
Ammanuel Shakir (Ass. PR Officer)
Distribution
Muturi Gertrude
Published by CUEA Press
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa
P.O. Box 62157, 00200 Nairobi - Kenya
W
over the last academic year. He cited
sports, drama and beauty pageants as
areas in which students excelled. In
particular, he congratulated the students who represented the University
in the Zain Africa Challenge and the
International Moot Court competition
in France. In addition, the VC thanked
students for participating effectively
in community service activities. He
urged them to take advantage of
CUEA’s cultural mix to engage in
fruitful dialogue.
cont. pg 2
Editor’s Note
hat does it take to serve
an organisation faithfully
for 25 years? We put this
question to Peter Adhoch who has
worked in the Library since 1984.
His answer is very revealing: “What
has kept me in CUEA is my faith and
the exemplary leadership of the first
librarians; not the salary. My motto is
‘I came to serve, not to be served.’”
Faith. Service. Exemplary leadership. These are enduring values in a
world that is changing too fast, often
with harmful consequences. It is easy
to focus on the self and direct all our
efforts at maximising personal benefit
and comfort.
But it’s reassuring to know that
there are people among us still driven
by selflessness; to whom service ranks
above money. It’s not that they do not
love themselves. Rather, they recognise
what really counts in the long term.
As we celebrate the Silver Jubilee,
the onus on each of us is to reassess
our motivations and adjust accordingly. It will be wonderful if, when
CUEA marks its 50th year in 2034,
some of us will proudly declare that
our service to the institution is/was
driven by such values as faith, service
and exemplary leadership.
cont. from pg 1
Commitment to quality
assurance
The VC informed the University
community that he had attended several international conferences whose
focus was quality assurance in all
aspects of higher education. “He is
committed to a regime of quality assurance systems in the management
and delivery of higher education,” he
said. Prof. Maviiri said the goal of
this regime is to establish institutional
capacity that ensures highly qualified
and committed staff, relevant curricula, high calibre student population, quality learning facilities, automated integrated information system,
competitive and relevant research
agenda and quality publications. He
said CUEA’s is keen on developing
strategies and policies on ICT that
transform learning, teaching, research
and community service.
New campuses and academic
programmes
The VC noted that the establishment of new campuses in Eldoret and
Kisumu are part of CUEA’s efforts to
diversify its programmes and ensure
cost-effectiveness. Prof. Maviiri announced the formation of the School
of Professional and Continuing
Education which offers professional
courses such as CPA, CPS, CISA,
and CICT.
He reported that the University
Council has approved six new courses
in various disciplines. A further five
courses have been presented to the
Commission for Higher Education
for approval. “Our goal is to intensify development of postgraduate
programmes across all faculties to
strengthen the region’s research
capacity,” Prof. Maviiri said. He
thanked the staff who developed the
new programmes.
Growing emphasis on
academic linkages
Prof. Maviiri highlighted some
opportunities for exchange programmes and urged staff to exploit the
same. He said participation in these
initiatives is strategic in positioning
CUEA on the global stage and raising its visibility and contribution to
knowledge creation.
Good progress on research
and scholarship
The VC noted that staff had made
good progress in research projects.
He recognised three members of
faculty who won significant research
projects. They are Prof. Samuel
Nyanjoga, Prof. Jane Onsongo and
Dr. Genevieve Mwayuli.
Prof. Maviiri emphasised collaborative interdisciplinary research,
saying that individual projects stand
little chance of attracting funding. He
called for regular seminars by faculties to discuss research strategies and
share knowledge.
Community service
While highlighting community
service as one of the pillars of the
Catholic University, the VC appreciated the efforts of both staff and students in this area. He singled out the
Faculty of Commerce and the Centre
for Social Justice and Ethics who
partnered to offer a yearlong training
course for women entrepreneurs from
Mathare slums.
The VC thanked the University
community for contributing food and
clothing for famine stricken residents
of Machakos. “Indeed you proved to
be your ‘brother’s keeper’”, he said.
Prof. Maviiri said community service
should take a central place in all University activities.
CUEA Silver Jubilee
Prof. Maviiri noted that CUEA’s
Silver Jubilee celebrations – launched
in February this year and scheduled
to climax next February – coincide
with the Second Special Assembly
for Africa of the Synod of Bishops
on the theme The Church in Africa
in Service to Reconciliation, Justice
and Peace. The VC said CUEA has
organised several important conferences that address the Synod theme.
He announced that a survey to
measure the impact CUEA has made
on the region is underway. Initial
results show that the University has
made an important contribution in
transforming people’s lives. “This
serves as a confirmation that CUEA
is faithful to her mission,” Prof.
Maviiri said.
He lauded the efforts of the Alumni Relations Office in coordinating the
affairs of the CUEA Alumni Association. He cited the establishment of the
Malawi chapter of the association as
a sign of progress and said the goal
is to establish a chapter in all the
AMECEA countries. The VC urged
staff and students to be ambassadors
of the Alumni Association.
CUEA Hosts Successful ACUHIAM International
Conference on Peace, Justice and Reconciliation
T
he Catholic University hosted a
hugely successful international
conference of the Association
of Catholic Universities and Higher
Institutes of Africa and Madagascar
(ACUHIAM). The conference, whose
theme was “Catholic Universities in
Africa for Peace and Reconciliation:
Searching for Root Causes and Solutions to Violence and Conflicts,” ran
from 30th June to 2nd July 2009 at
the main campus in Langata.
The Conference aimed at generat-
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ing studies and analyses which contribute to the formulation of proactive
policies responding to the challenges
of violence and conflict in Africa. It
also aimed at enhancing the visibility
of Catholic Universities and Higher
Institutes in Africa at global forums
on issues of justice, reconciliation
and peace in Africa. Furthermore, the
caucus strived to make Universities
and Higher Institutes in Africa active
agents in preparation for the Second
Special Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops on Africa to be held in October 2009, to impact on the affairs
of Church and society on matters of
justice, reconciliation and peace.
“The objective of the conference
was to look at the root causes and
solutions to conflicts in Africa. It
focused on how Catholic Institutions
could promote peace and security
in Africa through education, training and research,” said Rev. Dr.
Peter Gichure, head of ACUHIAM
Secretariat and CUEA’s Academic
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
Linkages Coordinator.
Dr. Gichure explained that the
conference should facilitate a peaceful and mutual benefit co-existence of
communities amidst war-torn societies in the continent. “This is a call
to develop new vision on the future of
Africa where people will experience
peace and stability, development,
integration, common ideals, values
and interests. In the 21st century Africa
must experience peace,” he stressed.
In his opening remarks, the Vice
Chancellor, Rev. Prof John Maviiri,
said the conference aimed to promote
candid discussions on the root causes
of violence and conflicts and propose
solutions. “We, the Catholic Univer-
make a difference in forging a new
humanism of the culture of justice
and peace. “Africa of twenty-first
century must achieve peace,” said
Prof. Maviiri.
UN Habitat Director laments
billions spent on African
peacekeeping…
The Guest Speaker at the conference was the Under Secretary General and Executive Director of UN
HABITAT Prof. Anna Tibaijuka. She
said that the ultimate goals of the conference (peace and justice) were dear
and near her heart for many reasons.
“Africa continues to make headlines
Apostolic Nuncio, H.E. Alain Paul Lebeaupin delivers the closing
address (above) and Pro-Chancellor H.E. John Cardinal Njue with
Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof. John Maviiri (below)
sity of Eastern Africa, acknowledge
that a lot has been done in issues
related to conflict and peace building
but we also have observed that there
was a lot to be done to arrive at total
peace rooted in justice.” He added
that as instruments of Evangelization
and taking the gospel as the light of
academic engagement, CUEA can
for all the wrong reasons. Always it
is about instability in Madagascar or
turmoil in eastern Congo or fighting
in Darfur or hostility in Delta Region
of Nigeria or chaos in Somalia that
make headlines of the international
News Rooms,” she lamented.
Prof. Tibaijuka noted that sadly
the UN was running 19 peacekeeping
Under Secretary General and
Executive Director of UN HABITAT
Prof. Anna Tibaijuka
operations in the world, eight of them
in Africa involving 110,000 personnel
with a budget of US$7.1 billion. In
addition, she said, Africa hosts the
bulk of humanitarian activities such as
resettling internally displaced people
and refugees.
“Had it not been for the senseless
wars and conflicts, the money spent
on peacekeeping operations would
have built thousands of schools, clinics, water-points, and other socioeconomic infrastructure,” she said.
Narrating historical backgrounds of
African conflicts and violence to the
slave trade era, Prof. Tibaijuka said it
destabilized peace in African communities by creating artificial boundaries
that separated ethnic communities and
effectively planted future conflicts in
the continent. “Africa bleeds from
the wounds inflicted during colonial
times,” she said.
She however clarified that Africa
not only suffers due to external interferences but also because of her own internal problems such as lack of cohesive
visions and failed governance. “After
all, many Asian countries suffered colonialism that was no less brutal and
dehumanizing, but they have moved on
to prosperity,” she said.
Prof. Tibaijuka proposed that
one of the solutions is to empower
Africans with the right kind of skills,
values and personal traits. These,
she said, would prepare Africans to
lift the continent from poverty. She
concluded with a challenge to the
gathering thus: “You as clergy and
educators have an extraordinary duty
to live by the commands of the Most
High, so speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights
of all who are destitute, speak up and
judge fairly, defend the rights of the
poor and needy.”
Promote enduring values; Cardinal Njue challenges Catholic
Educators…
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
3
The CUEA Pro-Chancellor and
Archbishop of Nairobi, His Eminence
John Cardinal Njue commended the
University for organizing such an
important conference which coincides
with the release of the working document for the Second African Synod
whose theme is, Church in Africa at
the Service of Reconciliation, Justice
and Peace. He said that Catholic Education is expected to promote living
values in and outside the learning
institution. The values are justice,
peace, honesty, integrity, and respect
for all people.
Cardinal Njue condemned war
and all violence, saying that war destroys and leaves those who remind
behind with scars and trauma. “This
conference should be able to search
for ways of facilitating a peaceful and
mutual co-existence of communities,”
he said.
Don’t be afraid in contributing
to change, Apostolic Nuncio
urges Catholic institutions….
Speaking at the closing ceremony,
the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency
Alain Paul Lebeaupin said one of the
T
Rev. Dr. Gichure
Secretary, ACUHIAM
Catholic institutions of higher learning and being in the service of integral
promotion of humankind and for the
needs of Churches and societies of
Africa. Among the mandates of the
Association is to organize joint academic conferences.
“The conference outcomes will be
used in developing curricular and cocurricular programmes on violence,
conflict resolution justice and peace
building,” Dr. Gichure said.
Dean of Student’s Office Implements Rigorous
Orientation for New Students
he Dean of Students’ Office put
in place a rigorous orientation
programme for new students
as the 2009/2010 Academic Year
got off. The Dean, Dr. Magdalene
Dimba, took the first years through
the Students Handbook, emphasizing its centrality in students’ campus
life. She advised them to read the
book carefully and understand what
is expected of them.
Dr. Dimba singled out the Dress
Code which every student must adhere to. CUEA education, she said,
is not limited to the academic sphere
but extends to behaviour formation
and how students conduct themselves
on and off campus.
Deputy Dean of Students, Mr.
Gideon Maina, congratulated the students for choosing to study at CUEA.
He said life is about choices, not
chances. He added that a university
is about universal values and any debate students engage in should reflect
this universality. “As young people I
urge you to live your dreams because
you have an obligation not only to
4
responsibilities of Catholic Universities
should be to educate people who resolve
issues by reason and Christian faith.
“As a representative of the Pope,
I tell you not to be afraid and to go
ahead where you are expressing, your
Christian identity capable of contributing to change Africa for all,” he
said. “Each one of your institutions
is certainly living a very specific situation linked to the local reality, but
where you are, you have the mission
to research the root causes of violence
and conflicts and provide solutions,”
added the Nuncio.
The conference sub-themes were
peace and education, theology and
peace, family and peace, youth and
peace, environment and peace, human rights, economy and peace, and
ethnicity and peace. Others were
violence and conflicts, culture and
peace, conflict resolution mechanism,
globalization and peace, causes of
violence, sustainable dialogue for
peace, conflict management, social
inequalities and reconciliation in
African culture among others.
ACUHIAM was established in
1989 with the objective of uniting
Dr. Magdalene Dimba, Dean of Students
your parents and society but to the
AMECEA region and the world,” Mr.
Maina said.
The Deputy Dean of Students
further urged the students to develop
a reading culture so that they can
acquire knowledge to solve day-to-
day problems. Reading, he said, will
enhance their capacity for critical
thinking, build in them an independent mind and most important, allow
them to embrace different shades of
opinion. He reminded them that their
background should never decide their
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
destiny; that everything zeroed in on
their belief systems.
The University Counselor, Sr.
Josephine Adibo, called for responsible behaviour in and out of campus.
She told the students experience has
shown that no problem is insurmountable. Sr. Adibo sought to demystify
the myth that the Counselor’s office
is for those with problems.
A consultant from NACADA, Mr.
Githinji gave a moving presentation
on the dangers of drug abuse. He told
the students that drug and substance
abuse is a feature of desperate conmen
and the major culprits are university
students. He said most students are
introduced to the habit by their best
friends. Mr. Githinji urged the students to be wise in their choice of
friends. He recommended peer review
on relationships.
Mr. Michael Lalampa of the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB)
took students through the process of
applying for loans. He encouraged
them to make use of the loan facility
to ease their fee payment.
Officials of the student body,
CUEASO, also addressed the new
students. They encouraged them to familiarise themselves with the services
T
offered by the student body.
The new students later underwent orientation of the University
Library. The Librarian urged them to
maximize their use of the facility for
serious academic work.
Take personal responsibility
for your thoughts and actions,
Vice-Chancellor urges new
students
The Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof.
John Maviiri urged the new students
to be responsible for their thoughts and
actions. He said this is the only way
they can achieve the goal of Catholic
higher education, which is to produce
a competent and upright graduate.
The VC highlighted three documents as key to student success:
Students Handbook, Programme of
Studies and Students Dress Code.
(A document on Catholic Identity is
nearing publication). Prof. Maviiri
urged the students to read and understand the documents well, noting
that this will help them to maximize
their potential intellectually, socially
and spiritually.
“Your admission to University is
a privilege and a treasure for which
you must always be thankful. Take it
as a precious time to acquire knowledge, discover your inner-self, use
your talents, mature your personality
character and plan for a productive
future. You have a lot of work to do
and time is so precious, it must not be
wasted,” the VC said.
Prof. Maviiri advised the newcomers against wasting time on
idle talk/gossip, bad company of
peer misfits, laziness and unrealistic
wishes and wants. He urged married students to be serious with their
marital relationships. “Be faithful to
your spouse. If you are celibate or
single, keep your dignity. The fear is
not just HIV/AIDS. Pregnancy will
not only disrupt your studies, but
may stigmatize and cause distressful psychological disorders that you
may have to bear the whole of your
life,” he said and reminded them that
everything has its time. “Concentrate
on your studies and build your personality while maintaining your dignity
and self esteem.”
The VC thanked parents and
sponsors for supporting the students’
pursuit of higher education. He welcomed them to partner with CUEA
in its quest to produce the best out
of students.
CUEA Student Wins Miss University
Kenya Beauty Pageant
he reigning Miss CUEA,
Mwende Mbae won the Miss
University Kenya title after
beating 15 beauties from both private
and public universities in the competition held on 4th June 2009 at the
Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi. Mr.
CUEA Jimmy Kerebe came second
in the men’s category.
Miss Mwende said she was in
shock when she was declared winner
of the national title. “The competition
was very stiff and when the judges
called my name as the winner, I went
into a daze for a second before I went
out to the stage! I could not believe it.
It took me time to believe that I won.”
Among the competing universities
were Kenyatta, Kenya Methodist,
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT),
Nairobi, and USIU. Some universities
sent more than one contestant.
Miss Mwende said she gave the
competition her best after preparing
Mwende Mbae
Miss University Kenya
for a long time with dedication and
passion. While thanking the University for giving her the opportunity to
participate in the pageant, she request-
ed for additional support. “Preparing
alone for such an event is not easy. I
still need financial and moral support
from the university. I am working day
and night to balance both school and
this co-curricular activity. I need support as I carry the CUEA flag in the
international arena,” she said.
Speaking to fellow students, Miss
Mwende encouraged them to aim for
the top in everything they do. “Desire
for excellence and do not miss the
opportunity to be the best person you
can be in life,” she advised.
Ms Mwende’s vision is to offer
her best to society and make a great
impact in Kenya. “I will be the best I
can to help Kenyans if not the world.
I believe that only by serving others
do we make a lasting contribution to
the world,” she said.
Ms Mwende is the third CUEA
student to represent Kenyan universities at the global arena. She follows
in the footsteps of Ms. Carol Maina
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
5
and Ms. Robai Khamasi who won
international titles in 1998 in Tokyo,
Japan and 2005 in Seoul, South Korea
respectively. In the men’s category,
Mr. Martin Wambugu, who was Mr.
CUEA in 2005, represented Kenya in
Seoul, South Korea.
The University community wishes
Miss Mwende well as she prepares
to represent CUEA and Kenya at the
global pageant.
CUEA Marketing Team Mounts Aggressive
Campaigns in Western, Central and Nairobi Provinces
T
he University’s marketing team,
led by the Public Relations
Office, mounted an aggressive
advertising campaign of university
programmes in western, central and
Nairobi provinces during the months
of May and June.
The team was at Kakamega High
School on 13 th June 2009 for the
Western Province Education Day. In
addition to intensive one-on-one marketing, the team of four toured the region in a CUEA bus emblazoned with
banners proclaiming, “The Catholic
University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)
in the heart of western Kenya.”
The Education Day attracted over
200 secondary schools from western
province. Organized by the Provincial Education Board, the event was
graced by the Provincial Commissioner, Mr. A.K. Mwasserah. The PC
said that education is very important
in the development of human society.
He encouraged schools in the province
and other provinces to work hard to
mold a generation that has concrete
knowledge, values and principles.
Being the only private university
at the occasion, CUEA drew the interest of students, teachers, guardians and
parents. In fact, the marketing team was
almost overwhelmed by the flow of
students from different schools.
The Education Board noted that
availing information from institutions of higher learning was a great
opportunity for high school students
in the province.
Central and Nairobi Provinces
also visited…
The marketing team also set up
shop in the Central Kenya region during the Archdiocese of Embu Catholic
Education Day held on 30th May 2009
in Embu. Organised by the Embu
Archdiocese Education Office, the
event brought together over 20 high
schools from Central Province.
Rev. Prof. John Maviiri, ViceChancellor of CUEA, was the guest
speaker. He said schools are the hope
6
CUEA Staff explain the University’s programmes to High School
students at a past exhibition
for societal development. He encouraged teachers to help students to grow
not only intellectually but also morally.
On 6th June 2009, the marketing
team attended the Archdiocese of
Nairobi’s 13 th Catholic Education
Day held at Ngenia High School.
Parents, teachers, catechists, clergy,
education officers, members of school
committees, parish and diocesan education boards, Ministry of Education
representatives and other stakeholders joined hundreds of students in
celebrating the Education Day.
Organized by the Archdiocese of
Nairobi Education Office, the festival
was marked under the theme, “Education for behavioural change as the
beacon of hope and success.” The
celebration attracted over 150 nursery,
primary and secondary schools under
the Nairobi Archdiocese.
The day began with a colourful
Holy Mass presided over by His Eminence John Cardinal Njue assisted by
more than 15 priests. The Cardinal reiterated that education should be taken
seriously in Kenya. He encouraged
teachers, parents and students to invest
in education. “Education is a determinant of the social, economic and moral
life of a nation. All students, sponsors,
parents, guardians and stakeholders
should give education the value it deserves,” Cardinal Njue urged.
He observed that the objective
of the Catholic Education Day was
to create awareness among parents,
teachers and the public about their
role in Catholic Education.
The prelate said the Catholic
Church has been involved in education since its inception. “The emphasis
of the World Catholic Education Day
has been the creation of awareness on
the importance of churches’ involvement in education, the contribution
of the Catholic Church in education,
parents’ role as first educators of
their children and publicizing global
education issues, among others,” he
stressed.
Cardinal Njue noted that Catholic Education is holistic and aims at
forming the whole person, morally,
intellectually, physically, socially,
mentally and spiritually.
The Organizing Committee of the
event identified several challenges to
Catholic Education. These include the
growing use of technology and the
deterioration of moral and spiritual
values, influences from electronic and
print media, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS,
poverty, famine, drought, child abuse,
lack of effective guidance and counseling departments in schools, and
economic hardships. Other challenges
are corruption, teenage pregnancies,
lack of efficient dialogue between
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
public schools and faith based institutions, and lack of political will to
invest in quality education that can
bring about change in the society.
Catholic Education Day is celebrated worldwide. In 1993, the
Church resolved that the day be
celebrated annually by individual
Episcopal Conferences. In Kenya,
the day has been marked annually in
every diocese since 1995.
Vice-Chancellor Participates in Commonwealth
Education Conference in Malaysia
T
he Vice Chancellor, Rev. Prof.
John Maviiri took part in the 17th
Conference of Commonwealth
Education Ministers (17CCEM) which
was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
from 15th to 19th June 2009.
The conference attracted ViceChancellors of Universities in Commonwealth countries alongside
Teachers, Stakeholders and Youth
Forums. The theme of the conference
was “Education in the Commonwealth: Towards and beyond Global
Goals and Targets attracted.”
The conference gave participants
a chance to make their voiced heard
by the Commonwealth Education
Ministers who were discussing the
state of education in the 53 Commonwealth member countries.
“The Vice Chancellors’ Forum
specifically focused on the role of
higher education in development.
The main question was, ‘how far are
universities changing and shaping
nations’?” said Prof. Maviiri.
To have the desired impact, reported Prof. Maviiri, the Vice-Chancellors recommended that higher education should focus on people’s needs
in their context and research must
be trans-disciplinary to be relevant,
applicable and acceptable. “It was
A
Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof. John Maviiri, at the 17th Conference of
Commonwealth Education Ministers in Malaysia
recommended that each University
should have a research policy and an
accompanying plan of action giving
direction on the focus of research
themes as an institutional response to
the actual needs of the people,” the
Vice-Chancellor said.
The conference reiterated the
need to underline not just academic
excellence, but also the Common-
wealth values which would foster
peace through justice, respect and
understanding.
“At all levels, learning in schools
should be a social activity preparing
people to live harmoniously with
others, recognizing diversity and the
need to forge the unity of communities and nations,” the conference
emphasized.
CUEA at 25: Interview
s CUEA celebrates its Silver
Jubilee, we recognize the contribution of staff at all levels.
Peter Adhoch has served the University since 1984 in the Library. He has
seen CUEA grow from “childhood” to
what it is today. INTRA-CUEA NEWS
talked to him and below are excerpts.
Mr. Adhoch, looking back at the
last 25 years, what highlights
come to mind?
We have come a long way! When I
think of the library in 1984, we served
a very small population of only 22
Mr. Peter Adhoch
students, mainly priests; today we
are serving 6000 students, majority
of them lay and over 300 staff.
The Library was small and could
only accommodate a maximum of 60
students. We started with four staff
in 1984 and after two years we got
an additional two. Today we are over
thirty full time library staff. We had
only 12 non-teaching and around 15
teaching staff in the whole university.
Today I guess we are over 350 staff!
In terms of facilities, the library
had only one microfiche reader. Today
we have over 60 computers.
In terms of administration, the
library had two librarians. The first
was Fr. Victor Colombo, a Jesuit from
Canada. The other was Fr. Maurice
Kisenyi. We also had four others in
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
7
acting capacity: Fr. Joseph Kariuki,
Fr. John Mary Waligo, Fr. Albert
Shorter and Fr. Patrick O’Brien.
When I came to CUEA the only
building which was complete was the
library. It was divided into two sections. The left side was for St. Thomas
Aquinas Seminary while the right side
was CUEA.
In 1984, the University started
building the administrative block including Finance Offices, L1, L2, L3,
L4, student priest quarters (opposite
Multipurpose Hall) and resident priest
quarters (where the Personnel Office
is located). They were completed
before the coming of the Pope in
1985 when he visited CUEA to lay
the foundation stone of the University.
Two years later they built the PhD
priest students quarters. The staff
quarters where lecturer priests reside
were built between 1988 and 1989.
Missio and Jubilee Halls followed.
The environment was bushy and
quiet with a lot of indigenous trees.
The whole compound of CUEA
was part of the St. Tomas Aquinas
compound.
Working for the same
organisation for 25 years is
rare. Form where do you draw
the energy and enthusiasm?
What has kept me in CUAE is my
faith and the exemplary leadership of
the first librarians; not the salary. My
motto is ‘I came to serve, not to be
served.’ The second thing is that I am
a Catholic and working in Catholic
institutions gives me satisfaction.
The first librarians I worked under
have taught me dedication and hard
work. They taught me by example,
how to pray and be a good Christian.
They taught me how to respect working hours. They also taught me to take
work seriously and how to be a committed man in everything I do. Working under those people gave me a lot
of moral and good example because
they were good people to work with
and that keeps me going.
I practice what they taught me
and that is why for all these years I
have been respected by the University
administration, staff and students.
When CUEA was celebrating the
20th Anniversary, I was awarded a
certificate of recognition as a good
worker. I thank those who recognized
my commitment.
Today, I treasure Fr. Kisenyi as
a good example of commitment and
hard work. I feel encouraged to serve
and work with passion when I see him
work until midnight. He is very hardworking and a good administrator. He
knows how to settle disputes among
his staff and how to handle issues. He
is also a committed priest.
I also commend all the librarians
for their good behavior and dedication. All are hardworking and friendly
people.
CUEA students have been good
to me and the University. I have
never experienced any student riots
in CUEA. They respect the rules and
regulations of the library. They have
a spirit of dialogue and respect. All
these and my faith keep me moving
and hoping for the better.
What is your message to the
CUEA community?
Let us serve CUEA and carry the
Vision and Mission of our Founding
Fathers to the future generation. Let
us put aside our individual differences
and work together towards the development of the University.
CUEA Wins over KShs 1.17m Awards
in Zain Africa Challenge
T
he Catholic University has won
awards worth more than KShs
1.17 million in this year’s Zain
Africa Challenge. The awards were
presented to the Vice-Chancellor,
Rev. Prof. John Maviiri by Zain Africa Corporate Relations Manager,
Mr. Okwiri, at a colourful ceremony
held in the University’s Jubilee Hall
Auditorium on August 19th 2009.
Speaking on behalf of his coparticipants, Mr. Nur Mohamed
thanked Zain and the University for
the hospitality and support accorded
to them during the Challenge. He said
the competition was a good avenue
for networking as it brought together
the best brains from around Africa.
He urged the University to continue
promoting co-curricular activities.
Mr. Urbanus Ndolo, the 2008/09
CUEA coordinator and liaison officer,
was full of praise for the students,
8
CUEA representatives to the Zain challenge pose with the trophy.
Looking on is the Vice-Chancellor Rev. Prof. John Maviiri
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
Administration and organizers. He
termed the Challenge an opportunity
to expose CUEA students to the world
and for forging linkages.
Mrs. Lydia Mbuthia, who was the
coach, praised the students for their
courage, perseverance and agility
during the Challenge. She predicted
that CUEA will emerge victorious in
next year’s competition.
Prof. Maviiri thanked Zain Africa and praised the students for
representing the University well. He
challenged both students and staff to
engage in the game of the brain so as
to find solutions to Africa’s problems.
Commenting on the Challenge, the
VC described it as an investment in
people, saying it will help mould good
A
leadership. “If this generation gets it
right, we shall see a better world,”
Prof. Maviiri said.
Mr. Okwiri praised CUEA’s performance. He pointed out that CUEA
and Zain Africa are similar in the
sense that both are multi-cultural and
act across Africa in their service. He
noted that education levels have improved tremendously as demonstrated
by students during the Challenge. He
said Zain Africa wants to interact with
the youth because they have potential.
Mr. Okwiri presented a grant of
KShs 1.17 million in form of laptops,
modems and data lines.
The liaison officer and coach
received cash presents worth KShs
117,00 each while the students re-
ceived KShs 78,250 each plus mobile
handsets worth KShs 18,000, Zain
modems worth KShs 13,000, airtime
and other gifts.
Rev. Prof. Juvenalis Baitu, the
Acting DVC Administration, gave
a vote of thanks and expressed his
admiration for how CUEA students answered questions during the
Challenge. He asked Zain Africa to
consider a similar competition for
lecturers and professors.
CUEA was the only private university from Eastern Africa that made
it to the quarter finals of the Zain
Africa Challenge. The University
has participated in the Challenge for
three consecutive years starting in
2006/2007.
College of Holy Cross Students
and Professor Visit CUEA
group of 10 students from the
College of Holy Cross (USA)
were in CUEA for a monthlong summer exchange programme.
The students, who were accompanied
by their professor, Judith Chubb,
were in CUEA from 11th May to 8th
June 2009.
During their stay, the students
received lessons in Swahili and on
social, economic, religious and political topics from CUEA lecturers
in the Department of Social Sciences
and external resource persons. “The
students also spent time on an internship scheme in Kibera slums where
they received invaluable exposure,”
said Mr. Bernard Ndonga, Social
Sciences Head of Department. Educational tours were another feature of
the exchange programme.
Even though the College of Holy
Cross covered the students’ expenses
while in Kenya, in the long run the
host university will foot the bill. “For
this time they paid all their accommodation and facilitation expenses
but in the future we are working on
modalities of covering their expenses,” said Mr. Ndonga, adding that the
programme was a good opportunity
for students of both universities.
CUEA also has collaborations
with College of St. Benedict and St.
John University Minnesota in USA
and Catholic Relief Service (CRS)
in Kenya. Between June 6th and 18th
2009, delegates from the two universities were in CUEA. The delegates
The delegation from College of Holy Cross pose for a photo with
Mr. Charles Otieno, one of the University drivers
were Charles A. Bobertz, Sr. Mary
Jane Berger, Denise Keijer, Allison
Spendar and Steven Thomas.
The delegates met Rev. Dr. Peter
Gichure, Coordinator of Academic
Linkages and Mr. Ndonga. The objective of their visit was to forge a formal
linkage between CUEA and CRS
Kenya. CRS Kenya was represented
by Mr. Peter Kimeu, Regional Technical Advisor: Partnership/Global
Solidarity, Church Relations, and Ms
Margaret Kikuvi, Global Solidarity
and Partnership Officer.
Mr. Ndonga said the American
university was linking with CRS
Kenya for industrial attachments because CRS has many projects in the
country. He said a collaboration that
started in 2005 was interrupted due
to unforeseen reasons. In addition,
the university has collaborations with
the Diocese of Homa Bay because St.
Benedict and St. John’s University are
within the Diocese of Saint Cloud in
America which has close relations
with the Diocese of Homa Bay. “They
have been having frequent visits to
this diocese,” said Mr. Ndonga.
As the collaboration strengthens,
the university is expected to send students to the Social Sciences Department for a semester, and if possible,
send a visiting professor too.
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
9
Dean of Theology Celebrates Priestly Silver Jubilee!
R
ev. Prof. Clement Majawa,
the Dean of Theology, celebrated twenty-five years of
priesthood on 25th July 2009 in his
home parish in Blantyre, Malawi.
The Mass, celebrated in Chichewa,
was animated by over seventy priests
and hundreds of faithful led by the
Chancellor of the Catholic University
Most Rev. Tarcisio Ziyaye. Prof. Majawa was accompanied by his family,
relatives and friends from Malawi and
other Eastern African countries.
Delivering the homily, Archbishop Ziyaye said nobody qualifies
for any vocation without God’s grace.
He urged Christians to trust in God
for guidance.
He described Christian life as a
spiritual war that requires special
weapons. He dismissed such powers
as witchcraft and magic, saying that
only divine power can overcome other
powers. He said priests are in good
health because God cares for them.
“If you are a committed priest, God
will never forsake you,” Archbishop
Ziyaye said.
He concluded by thanking the
CUEA community for traveling all
the way from Kenya to join Prof.
Majawa in celebrating the Jubilee
T
Rev. Prof. Majawa (2nd left) celebrates the Eucharist with
Most Rev. Tarcisio Ziyaye (3rd left) and other celebrants
and rendering it very colourful and
regional. “This gesture is not taken
lightly by Malawians because it
shows the kind of brotherhood Fr.
Majawa shares with you.”
After the Eucharistic celebration,
participants were treated to a delicious
lunch and entertainment. The CUEA
delegation and alumni in Malawi
presented gifts to Prof. Majawa. Mrs.
Pauline Ogondoa, a member of staff,
presented a special song composed for
the occasion as a gift to the Jubilarian.
The message of the song was “Here
I am Lord, what more can I do? Now
that I have served you for the last 25
years, I am still here to serve you.”
In the evening of the same day,
the CUEA Alumni Malawi Chapter
was officially launched. Archbishop
Ziyaye graced the occasion. The
CUEA delegation then visited the
mother of Prof. Majawa and received
her blessings.
The University community congratulates Rev. Prof. Clement Majawa
and wishes him a long and fruitful
service to God’s people.
Feature: Pastoral Ministry on Campus
he Pastoral Ministry on Campus involves a number of aspects: catechetical instructions;
preparing people for Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation
and Matrimony. These instructions
are given on Fridays, Saturdays and
Sundays starting at 5.00pm.
Couples who have not solemnized
their marriage are encouraged to do
so. So far, 5 couples have wedded in
the University chapel and elsewhere.
We work with spiritual groups
or movements e.g. Focolare, International Movement of Catholic
Students (IMCS), Young Christian
Students, Choir, and Pro-Life. We
encourage them to invite others to the
movements and to be role models on
campus and elsewhere.
These movements are also involved in community service initiatives such as raising funds and visiting the poor in slums. They work in
conjunction with others in the Archdiocese and throughout the country.
Rev. Fr. Joseph Mukui, University Chaplain
The Chaplain has held retreats for
middle-level and support staff and has
encouraged them to lead lives that are
worth of their calling, to solemnize
their marriage and enjoy the fruits of
married life. To young unmarried men
and women, the Chaplain encourages
them to venture into Christian marriage so as to live their potentials to
the fullest.
10 CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
Why Campus Ministry?
Lately, we have experienced false
teachings and witnesses, particularly with regard to marriage. These
include proponents of homosexual
life and pro-choice (early pregnancy
or abortion). The Christian faith in
general is targeted. There is need to
provide the faithful with guidance.
Other reasons for Campus Ministry
are:
• We are commanded to do it as a
pastoral duty
• Communication explosion
• Crisis in vocations
• Need for holistic formation at
campus – intellectual, spiritual,
social, and moral
• Preparation for leadership in
church and society (to form persons who will lead in transparent,
accountable and just ways)
Advice to Students while on
long vocations:
• No holiday from God’s
comandment
• Be faithful whenever you are
• Seek a sacramental life in your
area of holiday
E
An aerial view of the Catholic University
• Be an example to others
The Chaplain urges the spirit of
sincerity and openness in the University community. He says these
are grand virtues in relationships. He
encourages the CUEA community
not to lose hope in the face of global
difficulties. Suicide, drugs, alcoholism and evil activities do not provide
escape from reality. He urges students
and staff to seek wise counsel.
The Chaplain asks the youth to
be responsible and hardworking. He
advises them against being glued to
TV and videos but rather to expend
their time on meaningful activities.
In this era of severe job scarcity, the
Chaplain asks the youth not to be
choosy but to begin humbly.
Chaplaincy Releases Trimester Schedule of
Thursday Holy Mass
very Thursday at noon,
students and staff come
together for the liturgical
celebration of Holy Mass in Missio
Hall. This is a good opportunity for
the CUEA community to grow in
their spiritual life.
The Chaplaincy is urging students and staff to encourage one
another so that the whole University community grows and move
together towards its Creator.
The schedule below shows the
responsibilities of faculties/departments/division in animating the
Thursday Holy Mass during the
first trimester of the 2009/2010
Academic Year.
Month
Date
September
Thursday 3
Arts and Social Sciences
Thursday 10th
Commerce
Thursday 17th
Science
Thursday 24th
Education
Thursday 1
Law
Thursday 8th
Administration
Thursday 15th
Research
Thursday 22nd
Library
Thursday 29th
Theology
Thursday 5th
Arts and Social Sciences
Thursday 12th
Commerce
Thursday 19th
Science
October
November
Faculty/Division/Department
rd
st
CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)
11
CUEA Hosts International Performing Arts Group
A
n international group of musicians who preach Christian
values through music visited Kenya to evangelize the youth.
Hosted in CUEA, Gen Rosso came
to Kenya following an invitation from
Tangaza, a constituent college of the
Catholic University. Tangaza had
asked the group to teach music with
Christian values to its students. The
ten-day training took students through
the process of composing gospel
songs in a manner that is interesting
for the youth.
Welcoming the group to CUEA,
Acting DVC Administration Rev.
Prof. Juvenalis Baitu lauded the
mission of the group and expressed
CUEA’s pleasure in hosting them.
Members of the group are
Valerio Cipri (Italian composer and
co-founder of the group), Benedikt
Enderle (pianist and composer),
Emanuele Chirco (conductor) and
Eric Mwangi (dancer, DJ and actor).
The group draws inspiration from
the Focolare charisma whose founder
is the late Chiara Lubich.
DVC Administration Rev. Prof. Juvenalis Baitu (fourth left),
Mr. John Nyambega, PA to the Vice Chancellor (extreme right)
and Ms. Florence Nakawunde (extreme left) with the Jean Rosso group
Ms Florence Nakawunde, VC’s
Secretary, a consecrated Focolare
member said Gen Rosso evangelizes
through music and goes from country
to country when invited. “They get invitations from Churches, government,
and NGOs, among others,” she said.
She urged Kenyan youth to imitate the
group. “Kenyan gospel singers have
a lot to learn and share with such
groups in order to disseminate gospel
values,” noted Ms Nakawunde.
CUEA in KShs 6.8 Million IRD Research Project
T
he Catholic University will be
part of a research team that has
received Euros 60,000 (KShs
6.80 million) from the Institute of
Research for Development (IRD) to
study identities and slavery heritage
in Kenya.
The research team comprises the
Head of History Department, Prof.
Samuel Nyanchoga, Dr. Samson Omwoyo of Kenyatta University, Herman
Kiriama of the Kenya National Museum and Mrs. Marie-Pierre Ballarin
from Fort Jesus Museum, Mombasa,
who is also representing IRD.
The research project will be completed in three years. The grant also
has a training component to sponsor
at least two Masters and one PhD student to conduct research in a related
field. According to Prof. Nyanchoga,
the criterion for the scholarship is that
one must be taking an M.A. or PhD
in History.
Speaking on the focus of the research project, Prof. Nyanchoga said
the study will look at the heritage of
slave trade activities in Kenya. He
said some of those freed by slave mas-
DVC Academic, Prof. Ogula (3rd left) thanks Mr. Benjamin Buclet,
assistant consular of Training and Research at IRD, France. Others in
the picture are Dr. Lukwata (left), Director of Research, Prof. Nyanchoga
(third right) and Mrs Marie-Pierre Ballarin
ters from different countries such as
Tanzania, Mali, Congo, Uganda and
Kenya in the 1860s settled at what is
today Free Town in Mombasa. They
received missionary education and
got jobs in the colonial government.
However, they suffered marginalization in the post-independence era. The
research study will unearth reasons
for the marginalization.
“Free Town could have been a
tourist attraction in Kenya if it was
highlighted and given proper care.
But as we speak the town is a slum
area,” Prof. Nyanchoga said. He
added that the town has symmetries
as old as 1865 which are of great
historical value.
12 CUEA Silver Jubilee: “Celebrating 25 years of Dedicated Service to Church and Society” (1984-2009)