Amid Ongoing Probe, A Christian University Fights For Its Identity
NAIROBI, Kenya — Daystar University, a Kenyan school whose academic programs started with a certificate course from Wheaton College and later rose to be a leader in the training of communicators in Africa, has been forced to defend its Christian identity after a Muslim member of the country’s parliament accused it of discriminatory practices against students of other faiths.
Journalist-turned-lawmaker Mohamed Ali took to the floor of the National Assembly in March and asked the Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to clarify whether Muslim students at Daystar were being forced to attend chapel services and promotion of LGBTQ rights.
“What Daystar University is doing is wrong,” Ali said. “They force students to attend chapel services. They do not want to answer the question as required. I ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Hon. Machogu, to make sure that he follows up this case. The only option for Daystar University is to make sure that the said policies are re-looked into.”
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He added: “This country is protected by the Constitution. A Muslim student is at liberty to go to a Christian university or a Christian student is at liberty to go and get education from a Muslim university. No student will be forced to go to a chapel or mosque to pray.”
As a result, Speaker Moses Wetang’ula ordered the parliament’s education ]committee to visit the university in the coming weeks and investigate fully the allegations.
“Go and find out these allegations. … You will be at liberty to also call the member and discuss with him and appear before the committee of education,” Wetangula said.
For a university founded on Christian principles, it was indeed ironic that Daystar would be accused of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, supporters said.
Daystar is a Christ-centered, non-denominational institution of higher education to equip students for the transformation of church and society. Founded in Zimbabwe as Daystar Publications in 1964, the school moved to Kenya in 1971 and registered as Daystar Communications, a non-profit organization in 1973 offering a five-week International Institute for Christian Communication course.
In 1976, Daystar Communications started a two-year post-high school diploma program in Christian Communications, followed by a two-year Master’s in both Christian Communication and Christian Ministries in 1978, in collaboration with Wheaton College, based in Illinois.
As a result of these recent comments, the Daystar community rose in anger to counter Ali’s claims. On social media and other online forums, current and former students, faculty and administrators defended the university against the attacks.
With the hashtag #FomuNiDaystar — which translates as “Daystar is the place to be” — the school’s defenders stated categorically that when students join the institution they sign is a form agreeing to abide with its Christian practices, including attending chapel. Some of the more outspoken even dared the disgruntled students to leave and go look for education elsewhere.
Prof. Levi Obonyo, a veteran journalist and the Dean of the School of Communication at Daystar, said Ali’s allegations are false.
“I have no idea where this [attack by Ali] comes from. You cannot promote Christianity and LGBTQ simultaneously,” he said. “Then complaint No. 2 that the university holds back the grades of Muslim students who do not attend chapel can’t be true when all Muslim students have graduated when they have completed their course work.”
Obonyo also dismissed the claim of compulsory attendance of chapel services, saying the logistics do not allow that to take place.
“By the way, we have 7,000 students and our chapel can hardly hold 400 students,” he said, “so the question of compulsory attendance is also far-fetched.”
Jane Njuguna, a student of International Relations, said students are “advised to attend chapel as long as they are in session.”
“Failure to attend chapel has never interfered with the graduation of any student,” she said. “The only situation where chapel attendance is mandatory is when a student is vying for any political seat. Failure to attend chapel often leads to disqualification from the race.”
Walter Nalwa, a former council president while an undergraduate student who is now pursuing his graduate studies at the university, said “chapel attendance is encouraged, not as an obligation, but as a means of spiritual nurture and personal development, echoing the essence of community and growth as depicted in biblical teachings.”
He added: “We embrace diversity, ensuring equal treatment for all students, regardless of creed or origin. Muslims, among others, are valued members of our community, attracted not by religious affiliation but by the caliber of our graduates and their impactful contributions to the society.”
Tom Osanjo is a Nairobi-based correspondent for ReligionUnplugged.com. He is a former parliamentary reporter and has covered sports, politics and more for Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper.