- CUEA has hosted the 11th KCCB Commission for Education and Religious Education Conference under the theme “Rooted in Faith, Rising with Purpose.”
- School principals have raised concerns over delayed government capitation, citing its impact on feeding programmes and Grade 10 enrolment.
- Bishop Kadima has urged education leaders to practice servant leadership grounded in humility, integrity and faith.
The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) brought together Catholic school principals, teachers, chaplains and education leaders from across the country to promote faith-centred education, as the institution hosted the 11th Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) Commission for Education and Religious Education Conference (CERE) from Tuesday, August 4 to Thursday, August 6, 2026.
The three-day conference, held at the CUEA Pope Paul VI Learning Resource Centre (LRC) Auditorium, was anchored on the theme “Rooted in Faith, Rising with Purpose,” inspired by Jeremiah 29:11, and sought to strengthen the integration of faith principles into the running of Catholic schools nationwide.
The University Vice Chancellor, Very Rev. Prof. Stephen Mbungua Ngari, welcomed the KCCB leadership and participants drawn from across the country to the conference.
Margret, a principal from a school in Meru, described the event as a breakthrough, saying she hoped to take back to her school many of the virtues she had acquired during the conference.
“There are a lot of things I’m going to take to the school. In the conference we have learned how to apply faith principles to the school, purpose, having your priorities right and living a Christ-like life,” she said.
Margret noted that it had become tough to run schools since government capitation was not being delivered on time, making it difficult to acquire food for students and forcing some to be sent home over school fees, at times without much success.
ALSO READ:
KUPPET issues 7-day strike notice ahead of schools reopening
She, however, noted that the issues behind the ongoing school strikes were largely a result of media influence, teachers not being fully attentive to students, and a general failure to listen to students’ needs.
Similarly, William Ngugi, a school principal in Mumoni, Mbooni West, Makueni County, noted low enrolment in schools following delayed government capitation. He stated that the resulting lack of school funds had made it difficult to acquire lunch funds to feed students.
“Government capitation is not coming on time. We are experiencing low enrolment for Grade 10 students, and money supposed to come from parents, especially lunch fees, is never made on time, forcing us to chase students out of school,” he said.
Ngugi attributed school unrest to teachers not negotiating with students on what they needed, describing it as a matter of understanding “students’ behaviour” before responding.
According to Ngugi, pastoral classes remain one of the main ways of engaging students, through conducting school masses at least twice a month, insisting on the “Catholic DNA” anchored on the well-being of teachers.
“We conduct pastoral programmes on Fridays for the Young Christian Society (YCS) and Christian Union (CU), where students are addressed on matters of spirituality and well-being,” he said.
The annual conference remains an important forum where Catholic educators come together to collaborate on advancing quality education founded on Gospel values while responding to the evolving needs of society.
ALSO READ: School feeding funding crisis threatens 46,000 learners in drought-hit areas
During the Holy Mass, Bishop Kadima urged education leaders to practice servant leadership by demonstrating humility, accepting correction, forgiving those they lead and serving as role models for the values they seek to impart to young people.
Drawing from the day’s readings from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah and the Gospel according to Matthew, he said genuine leadership is founded on faith, integrity and a commitment to serving others.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
