Nairobi, 15 November, 2025 / 10:20 PM
The establishment of a School of Nursing at the Tangaza University (TU), the Kenya-based institution of higher learning that is jointly owned by some 22 Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), is “a historic milestone”, the Vice Chancellor has said.
Speaking on Friday, November 14, at TU’s second graduation, Fr. Patrick Mwania highlighted the major strides the university has registered in the past year since it was granted a charter in May 2024, noting that “the post-charter period has been one of striving towards growth and relevance.”
“This year in particular has been a remarkable one for Tangaza University. A year of bold dreams, steady progress, and renewed faith,” Fr. Mwania said, and went on to recognize the establishment of the Nursing School as “a historic milestone” in TU’s response to the growing needs for “compassionate and competent health care professionals.”
The Kenyan-born member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost Fathers/Spiritans/CSSp.) disclosed that the inaugural cohort of the nursing program is expected to commence in January 2026.
“Funding for the construction of the fully-fledged School of Nursing School Complex has already been secured, and the construction is bound to begin,” he further said.
Fr. Mwania continued, “Through this school and the programs offered therein, we seek to form nurses who not only heal bodies but also touch hearts.”
The envisaged infrastructure for the School of Nursing, he went on to say, “will house state-of-the-art laboratories, simulation rooms, and learning spaces, becoming a center of excellence for students in health care education in our region.”
The VC also highlighted the launch of the School of Applied Sciences and Technology and the ongoing advancement of the university’s Learning Resource Centre into “a state-of-the-art digital and academic hub that will expand our capacity for teaching, research, and innovation.”
He further noted that the university is in the process of rebranding and upgrading its Institute of Social Communication (ISC) into a fully-fledged School of Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies.
“This rebranding is long overdue and timely, as it will position Tangaza as a premier comprehensive academic hub for studies in communication, journalism, and media studies for impact,” said Fr. Mwania.
In his November 14 address, the Spiritan Priest observed that the significance of the second TU graduation goes beyond academic achievement.
“This day is not just about academic success; it is the testimony to what faith-driven education can do. It transforms lives, it uplifts families, and it renews society,” he stated.
The TU VC called upon the graduating class of 2025 to remember that their degree is “not merely a credential” but a solemn invitation “to transform society with integrity, compassion, and excellence.”
“Wherever you go, carry the Tangaza spirit, a spirit that says, ‘My mind is taught, my heart is touched, and my life is transformed.' This is in order to teach the minds of others, touch other people's hearts, and transform their lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, in his remarks at the November 14 graduation ceremony held at TU grounds in Karen, Nairobi, the Chair of TU Council, Dr. George Muhoho, echoed the VC’s words to graduates, emphasizing that “success is not merely about personal achievement.”
Dr. Muhoho reminded them that “true success lies in how you use your talents to lift others, how you apply your skills to solve meaningful problems, and how you maintain your values even when faced with the pressure to compromise them.”
He said, “Others will serve in healthcare, education, or ministry, where your decisions directly impact on lives, and very often lives of the very vulnerable. Still others will become entrepreneurs, creating not just businesses but opportunities for others to flourish.”
“Whatever your path, carry with you the understanding that your work is part of a larger human history, a human story, a story of hope, progress, and mutual care,” the TU official said.
The Chairman of the TU University Council painted a picture of the world awaiting the graduates, saying, “Let me be honest with you about the world you are entering. It is a world of extraordinary opportunity, but equally one of extraordinary complexity.”
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He expressed confidence that the formation the graduates received at the Catholic institution of higher learning has equipped them to seize emerging opportunities and navigate the challenges ahead.
“You have learned to think critically about information, to question assumptions, and to seek truth even when it is uncomfortable. You have studied not just subjects but developed the capacity for lifelong learning. Most importantly, you have cultivated the spiritual and ethical foundations necessary to navigate a complex world with integrity,” Dr. Muhoho said.
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.
The May 2 Charter award was 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 TU is a culturally diverse institution of higher learning that has “Teaching Minds, Touching Hearts, Transforming Lives” as its educational philosophy.
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