I’m not a priest! First lay VC of the Catholic University

Prof. Justus Gitari Mbae, the Seventh Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) on June 16, 2016. PHOTO | JEPTUM CHESIYNA

What you need to know:

  • The Catholic Church loves its traditions as it loves its sacred Scriptures. Everything appears to be done as was, is, and ever shall be... But recently tradition was broken in one of its institutions of higher learning when for the first time in 32 years, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa installed a vice-chancellor who is not a priest... A married man!
  • While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Mbae developed an interest in Philosophy, pushing him to undertake a Masters and PhD in the subject at the University of Nairobi (1976-1979) and National Kapodestrian University of Athens in Greece (1985-1989).
  • Since then he has taught at KU where he rose from lecturer to Chairman of Educational Foundations department between 1982-1993 and then as a Cultural Affairs Specialist at the American Embassy in Nairobi. He joined CUEA in 2010 as an Associate Professor of Education then as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics.

For the 32 years of its existence, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) has had six vice chancellors — and all of them were priests. Besides, no Kenyan has held the position despite the main campus of the regional university being in Nairobi. Nothing could, therefore, have prepared the university’s community for the leadership of Prof Justus Mbae. 

Weeks after he was installed as Vice Chancellor during the university’s 33rd graduation ceremony, news outlets that report on the Catholic Church continue to use the word “lay” in reference to the VC, perhaps a clear indication that not having an ordained priest as head of the institution was a break with tradition. 

 “At the moment some people are finding it a little bit odd and have not stopped asking themselves, ‘how is he VC; somebody who is not a priest — how can he be?’” Prof Mbae, who describes himself as a teacher and philosopher rolled into one told Lifestyle.

“But if you look at the broader Catholic Church, some of its universities, especially the old ones, are moving more towards the lay. Even though there was clergy for a long time, it is now more about whether you have the qualifications,” he adds.

Run by the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in East Africa (AMECEA), a caucus of bishops from eight countries in the region that does developmental projects on behalf of Vatican, there is a spiritual bearing on how the institution is run.

So bearing is the church that the installation of a new VC is not only an academic process but a religious service in which the new holder is supposed to profess the faith by reciting the Apostles Creed in public to show commitment to his new job and then sign the vows.

The bishop’s plenary assembly takes place once in five years to assess the developments of the projects the church is running. It is during this time that appointments to key management positions are made.

But early this year, Monsignor Dr Pius Rutechura, who had served since 2011, was recalled to his home diocese of Bukoba in Tanzania to continue with pastoral work, prompting the regional religious caucus to initiate a search for a new VC — this time competitively.

A Mosignor is a priest who has distinguished himself and has been honoured by the Pope for his service to the church. Being a layman, it is a title Prof Mbae knows too well he will never achieve despite his ambitious plans for the university. But he is unfazed.

“Yes I am not a priest, but that’s the beauty of it. If you talk about staunch Catholics, I am one of them,” he says.

He explains that the charter does not say that the VC must be a priest.

Prof. Justus Gitari Mbae, the Seventh Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) interacts with students on June 16, 2016. PHOTO | JEPTUM CHESIYNA

INTERIM ACCREDITATION

“It is just tradition. What it says is that the person must have taught in the university for a number of years, has served in senior levels of management and understands the Kenyan educational system.”

But beneath the arguments and counter arguments, the VC is well aware of the work ahead – including some urgent matters. For example, the university that has a population of 6,000 students is currently locked in a stalemate with the Council for Legal Education (CLE) over the registration status of its law degrees. This is one of the first things Prof Mbae wants to resolve.

“We started our law degrees before CLE came in and so we were accredited by the Commission for University Education. Right now we are operating using interim accreditation,” he says.

But he adds, it is not just about accreditation.

“We want it to be very different from other faculties in the sense that being a regional university we want to produce a lawyer who can serve in any of these countries because we are teaching them regional integration law,” he says.

The institution is also trying to increase its capacity to admit more students without compromising quality of education, something Prof Mbae says is the worst ailment facing the expanded access to higher education.

The academic, who has been teaching in universities for the last 34 years, complains that higher education has been turned into a money-minting avenue that is only concerned with enrollment numbers at the expense of the needs of students and the society.

“Everyone is after money because we call it the ‘business of offering education’. And yes we have to do it as a business, but we have forgotten the extra values that go with education.”

He adds that even though doors have been opened to allow more students, quality must be at the heart of every decision.

“As stakeholders we must ensure what is offered is of high quality, done by lecturers who are well qualified, and students who have the qualifications without taking shortcuts. The question is, do we have the integrity to sacrifice the money and uplift and promote the quality of education?” he poses.

Without these considerations, he says, higher education institutions will have lost their role in society at a time when they are needed the most to provide direction since education is a powerful tool for change.

“Kenya needs values now more than any other time. Every day we are reading stories of people who have misappropriated funds, violence at home, immorality, our children being exposed to drugs and such things,” he says.

A first born of 10 children born to a Mau Mau freedom fighter father, young Mbae spent most of his childhood with his mother who was a peasant farmer at Iruma village in Chogoria, Meru. His father spent most of his days on the war field and for a long time was in prison.

“For a long time I didn’t know my father because he was arrested and taken to Manyani prison. So I only had my mother but those were good days in the village setup because everyone was like family,” he recalls.

He attended Kamachuku Primary School up to Class Five where in between he would as a first born help in the farm and in taking care of his siblings, an experience he says taught him to be responsible and self-reliant at a very early age.

He then joined Nkubu Seminary for secondary education but transferred midway to Chuka High School where he sat for O levels before joining Kangaru High School in Embu for A levels.

But despite spending years in a seminary, it never motivated him to be a priest or a teacher when he sat for his A levels in 1970. He wanted to be a lawyer, but failed to make it to the list of students picked for the course. 

 “The next thing is I was thrown to Kenyatta University (KU) to study education and for two years I hated everything I did because I knew I was doing it for lack of an alternative,” he says.

His turning point was during the last semester of the second year through one of his lecturers who was teaching the Psychology of Education unit.

“The way Prof Oyugi taught made me understand the subject so well but I also realised that I had a problem with my attitude,” he says and adds, “He conquered my heart because I realised ‘since I am in this course I am going to be a teacher anyway’. I had an option to be happy or have a long face but still do it. So which is better?”

Prof Mbae receives the University Mace, one of the symbols of authority. PHOTO | FILE

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Mbae developed an interest in Philosophy, pushing him to undertake a Masters and PhD in the subject at the University of Nairobi (1976-1979) and National Kapodestrian University of Athens in Greece (1985-1989).

Since then he has taught at KU where he rose from lecturer to Chairman of Educational Foundations department between 1982-1993 and then as a Cultural Affairs Specialist at the American Embassy in Nairobi. He joined CUEA in 2010 as an Associate Professor of Education then as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics.

It is Philosophy, however, that drives him and is close to his heart. He says it guides human beings in everything that they do.

“People always ask what you do with philosophy after studying it. The right answer to that question is what can you not do with philosophy? It is about thinking and so philosophy will help you on anything to do with life. It is like teaching. When you are a teacher you can become almost anybody. By the way everybody is a philosopher but we have professional philosophers,” he says.

Prof Mbae is married and has three daughters. His first born son died in an accident. He spends his free time reading, serving in the church where he is the chairman of his Jumuia (small Christian community) at Nairobi’s St Joseph Kahawa Sukari Catholic Church and seating in various school boards.

With all these engagements he rarely has time for himself.

“My wife complains sometimes that I am not available, but very often I go back home and spend time with them,” he says.

So given a chance, would he still want to be a lawyer?

“Oh no,” he says with a laugh. “Sometimes I wonder what I would have been as a lawyer.”

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CHANGE OF GUARD

The Incoming Chancellor of Daystar University Prof Mary Murimi with Rev Dr Mattews Mwalua after her installation as the 3rd chancellor of the University in a ceremony held at Daystar University Athiriver Campus on June 23, 2016. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA

Daystar boasts of good leadership and change management

DAYSTAR UNIVERSITY on Thursday installed its third Chancellor, Mary Murimi, a professor of Nutrition at Texas Tech University.

Her appointment comes after the completion of an 11-year tenure of the former Chancellor, Dr Florence Muli-Musiime, who took over from Dr James Kamunge.

Prof Murimi brings in 18 years of experience as she started her teaching and research career at Louisiana Tech University in 1998.

She is currently a full professor of Nutrition at Texas Tech University in the department of Nutritional Sciences engaged in teaching, grant writing and research at the local and international level.

During her installation ceremony, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Timothy Wachira, said the university’s origin and sustenance is anchored within the realms of the Church.

The new chancellor has a religious background having been a member of Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM) at Valley Road where her husband was an Assistant Pastor before moving to the USA.

She is currently a member of the Turning Point Community and Bible Believing Church in Lubbock where she and her husband, Sammy, are actively engaged.

The outgoing chancellor, Dr Muli-Musiime, said the installation of Prof Murimi as the third Chancellor is a public demonstration of leadership transition and change management.

“The hardest thing about being a leader is demonstrating or showing vulnerability… by accepting vulnerability as a strength, you stop worrying about having every answer and realise that yes, it’s okay to be wrong and even to be corrected,” said Dr Muli-Musiime.

Prof Murimi is the President-Elect and the chair of the 2016 annual conference for the Society of Nutrition Education and Behaviour having been a member of the board of directors since 2011.

Her journey started after she was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition/Dietetics at Mundelein College in 1990.

Two years later she was awarded a Master of Science in Food and Nutrition/Dietetics at Eastern Illinois University.

Prof Murimi later in August 1996 graduated with a PhD in Human Nutrition with an emphasis in community nutrition and behaviour change from Iowa State University.

She has been a registered dietician with the American Dietetic Association since 1993 and a member of the Society of Nutrition Education since 1992.

Prof Murimi has published more than 35 works and has been an Associate Editor of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour since 2008.

 - Evelyne Musambi