Catholic University of Eastern Africa

The main campus of the university is located along Bogani East Road, in the neighborhood called Langata, a southwestern neighborhood, within the city of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and the largest city in that country. The geographical coordinates of the university campus are: 1°21'04.0"S, 36°45'28.0"E (Latitude:-1.351111; Longitude:36.757778).[3]

Catholic University of East Africa founded on 3 September 1984, as a graduate school of theology, under the name the Catholic Higher Institute of Eastern Africa (CHIEA). The institute was founded by the regional ecclesiastical authority known as Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA). The member countries of AMECEA are: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. On 18 August 1985, the institution was formally opened by Pope John Paul II. In 1986, the Graduate School of Theology started negotiations with the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya to establish the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA).[4]

In 1989, the institute obtained the "Letter of Interim Authority" as the first step towards its establishment as a private university. After three years of intensive negotiations between the Authority of the Graduate School of Theology (CHIEA) and the Commission for Higher Education, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences was established. The climax of the negotiations was a granting of the Civil Charter to CHIEA on 3 November 1992. This marked the birth of the university as a private institution. The institute rebranded as the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, in 1992.[4]

In 2002, the Faculties of Science and Commerce were established. Then in 2003, the Center for Social Justice & Ethics was established. The Faculty of Law was established in 2004, and the School of Continuing Professional Development in 2009. In 2009, satellite campuses were established in Eldoret and Kisumu.[5] In April 2013, the university opened a new campus in the I&M Tower, along Kenyatta Avenue, in Nairobi's central business district. The campus can accommodate up to 500 students.[6]

The university hosts an environment friendly learning resource centre as an example of ecologically sustainable design in the region.[7] The LRC designed by Kenyan architect Musau Kimeu consists of three buildings namely a 3000 seater ultra modern library, a 1200 seater state-of-the-art auditorium and a 500 seater cafeteria. The buildings are arranged around a 50m by 40m central square and tied together by a covered walkway with outdoor seating. The central area of the square is planted with grass and on one corner of the Square is a fountain and diagonally juxtaposed is a three metre high statue of Pope Paul VI by Ugandan artist Leonard Kateete.[8]

The sustainable design shared by the three buildings include the use of natural ventilation to provide cooling, use of high thermal mass, sun-shading of glazed areas and building orientation.[9] Wind energy is utilised in operating the ventilation cowls above the thermal chimneys with an underground water storage tank whose top doubles up as the podium for an outdoor amphitheatre being incorporated for water harvesting.[10] The Learning Resource Centre was awarded the best green building in Kenya in 2014.[11]

As of May 2020, the university maintains the following faculties, schools and institutes:[12]

• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Theology
• School of Business
• School of Graduate Studies
• Institute of Canon Law
• Institute of Regional Integration and Development (IRID)
• Center for Social Justice and Ethics (CSJE)
• Library and Information Science
• Open Distance and e-Learning (ODEL)

All the faculties, schools and institutes are found in various halls within the university with the Faculty of Law separately based at Kozlowiecki Hall outside the main campus.

The university runs the Cardinal Otunga Scholarship Fund in honour of one of the university's founding fathers, Maurice Cardinal Michael Otunga.[13] The aim of the fund is to sponsor needy but deserving students in pursuit of their studies at the university. The scholarship fund governance framework consists of two committees, namely the Fund Steering Committee and the Scholarship Awards Committee.[14] The Steering Committee organizes an annual Cardinal Otunga Memorial Mass, the Lecture and the Scholarship Fundraiser whereas the Awards Committee administers the funds to deserving students.

• Marist International University College
• Tangaza University College
• Hekima University College
• Regina Pacis University College
• Uzima University College

In addition to constituent colleges there are a number of affiliated colleges namely;

• Don Bosco College: Moshi, Tanzania
• Christ the King Major Seminary
• The Spiritan Seminary
• AMECEA Pastoral Institute
• Chemichemi ya Uzima Center

Notable alumni include:

• Stella Kilonzo, Executive Director of the Capital Markets Authority of Kenya; July 2008 – June 2012.[15]
• Eve D'Souza, Media personality
• George Khaniri, Senator, Vihiga County
• Vanessa Mdee, Tanzanian singer
• Emmanuel Mosoti, Lead of the Health Sector Development Partner Forum
• Alexander Otieno Oketch, Regional Projects Development Director, General Electric[16]
• Elizabeth Lenjo, Intellectual Property Lawyer and Lecturer
• Awut Deng Acuil, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, South Sudan
• Samantha Mugatsia, Kenyan actress
• Uwem Akpan, Nigerian writer
• Margaret Mwachanya, Commissioner, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya
• Betty Korir, Kenyan Lawyer and Corporate Executive, Credit Bank
• Doreen Majala, Kenyan Lawyer and media personality[17]

• Education in Kenya
• List of universities in Kenya

• Website of Catholic University of Eastern Africa