AFRICA/KENYA - High ranking UN official commends Catholic Church for major contribution to education in Africa: many of Africa's leaders in politics and in the private sector were educated at Catholic schools

Nairobi (Fides Service)- Recently the Catholic Church was commended by a high ranking UN official for its major contribution to promoting education in Africa. The Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, Mrs Anna Tibaijuka commended Catholic commitment for education in Africa at the 20th graduation ceremony of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) on Saturday, October 7, 2005. The Tanzanian-born UN official observed that many of Africa's political, as well as leaders in the private sector, were educated by Christian missionaries, and many by the Catholic Church. Prof. Tibaijuka recalled that the Church has educated many of the first generation independence of leaders in Africa, citing both the late Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta and Tanzanian former President Julius Nyerere.
Over 800 students graduated in various disciplines within the institution's major faculties of Theology, Arts and Social Sciences, Science, and Commerce. The graduates, who included not just priests and sisters, seminarians and other lay people, were awarded with doctorates, degrees, diplomas and certificates. CUEA is an institution of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA). AMECEA Chairman and Archbishop Paul Bakyenga of Mbarara Diocese, Uganda, presided over the Mass preceding the graduation ceremony.
Catholic schools in Africa are as follows: 11,538 kindergartens with 1,036,886 children, 31,586 primary schools with 11,624,328 students, 8,229 middle and high schools with 2,603,550 pupils, and Catholic universities form a total of 52,797 students. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/10/2005 righe 38 parole 287)