By BONIFACE MULU
Some 149 students of the Kitui Catholic Diocese’s Saint John Paul II Institute graduated during the institute’s second graduation ceremony on Friday, June 24, 2022. The colourful ceremony was attended by hundreds of people including the students, parents and guardians. Lawyer William Ikutha Maema was the chief guest at the event.
In his speech, the Saint John Paul II Institute Director, Father Reverend Robert Mutui, said the institute is a middle level college registered with the Kenya’s higher education ministry and the Technical and Vocational Education Training Authority (TVETA) to offer both diploma and certificates. The TVETA is one of the state corporations under the Kenya’s Education Ministry.
The director disclosed that the institute that was started up in 2015 has two campus-the school of business and the school of engineering.
He announced that the institute currently has a total of more than 300 students. And he added that the college offers more than sixteen courses including accountancy, sales and marketing, human resources management, secretarial studies, business management, business administration, supply chain management, social work and community development, automotive engineering, motor vehicle mechanics, electrical installation and plumbing.
Mutui said the school has development in terms of enrolment, training and penetration in the market. And he also said that apart from the academic development, the school has also been in the forefront in spiritual formation of the students.
“This helps in ensuring that the Saint John Paul II Institute community lives in harmony and trust,” the director said. “The institution vision is to be a source of academic excellence and quality education.
This coupled with spiritual nourishment the school is able to produce a holistic person ready to serve the nation,” Mutui added. And according to him, the college currently has a total of 15 teaching staff members led by the manager Lawrence Mutua and a total of five non-teaching staff members.
“Agraduation is always such a meaningful occasion. My dear graduands we are proud of you. Congratulation,” the director told the graduands. And on his part, the institute’s Chairman Sammy Ikima said: “Today is an important day in the institute.” We also thank the bishop for the support the institute has received from him, Ikima added.
The Right Reverend Bishop Joseph Mwongela is the head of the Kitui Catholic Diocese. “We value you. We appreciate you,” the chairman told the graduands. Ikima said that a survey by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed that some 39 per cent of some 14 million youths with technical skills from around the world have acquired employment in the global job market.
He added that the lack of skills are some of the things that hinder the youths from getting the employment. And the chief guest in his speech said the Strathmore University students are greatly attracted for the global employment market. “What you do has a significant impact for you and the society as a whole.
We are very proud of you,” Maema told the graduands. He lauded the Kitui Catholic Diocese Bishop Joseph Mwongela’s exemplary leadership. Lawyer Maema told the graduands that the learning has no end. “I would like to ask you to take this your today’s graduation as the beginning of your learning,” he told them.
Maema told the graduands that the world has become very challenging and very competitive. The occasion was also addressed by the Saint John Paul II Institute Manager Lawrence Mutua among others.
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