“We have artificial intelligence now, climate change, migration, unemployment, violence, inequality, interreligious dialogue, changing family structures and the many questions facing the youth today. So we cannot educate students to a world that no longer exists,” he said.
He emphasized the need to prepare students to transform the emerging world, stressing that technological progress must always remain at the service of human dignity.
“Tangaza should not be afraid of innovation, but neither should it surround its soul with technology,” Bishop Mbinda said, adding, “Listening to the spirit of God, docility to the Holy Spirit should always form part of our journey.”
The Kenyan Catholic Church leader linked TU’s future renewal to its attainment of university status, cautioning that the Charter awarded to the university in May 2024 should be understood as bringing greater responsibility rather than simply marking an institutional achievement.
He said, “The charter that we celebrate mostly gives Tangaza greater responsibilities. Dear friends, the charter is not simply an achievement to frame and to hang on the wall. It is a responsibility. It tells us that much has been achieved but much more is now expected.”
“The expectations are quite high,” the Bishop emphasized, urging the TU community to safeguard the institution’s integrity and ensure that its academic and research work responds to the needs of society.
He added, “Let Tangaza never settle for negativity. Let our classrooms pursue truth. Let our research address the real human problems. Let our theology speak to contemporary African spirituality. Let our graduates become agents of reconciliation and peace.”
Bishop Mbinda said the Catholic institution of higher learning headquartered in the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) should always seek to send out graduates whose formation enables them to serve as witnesses of faith, hope, truth and peace.
“We must send to the world men and women of faith. We must send missionaries of hope, scholars committed to truth, ethical and competent leaders, peace builders, service leaders, servant leaders, graduates whose lives become testimonies of what Tangaza stands for,” he said.
The Bishop described the TU’s 40th anniversary as a moment of personal gratitude but also a reminder that being proud of Tangaza comes with a responsibility to contribute to its future.
