Nairob, Kenya – In the year 2016, it well pleased the Father General of the Clerics Regular Minor, Fr. Raphael Mandolesi and his Council to decide about a new theological experience for the CRM students in Nairobi, shifting from TANGAZA COLLEGE to DON BOSCO UTUME.

After their simple profession of the vows of Chastity, of Obedience and of Poverty made on June 26, 2016, the neo-professed Bros Kizito Shamavu, Augustine Katembo., Paschal Cuma, Thierry Maymoto, Patrick Shindani, were sent to Nairobi with this watchword: you will do your theology at UTUME College and not at Tangaza College as we used to.

DON BOSCO UTUME, QUID?

Don Bosco Utume is a Salesian Theological College located in Karen-Nairobi, Kenya (nearby Ka- ren Hospital). It is affiliated to Università Pontificia Salesianum, Rome. The name UTUME is the abstract Swahili word for “mission” which does not mean a place but is related to the sending, being sent by God. It is known as a center of higher learning in preparation for ministerial priesthood. This Catholic institution forms educators and evangelizers in human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions. It makes the candidates competent in communication and inculturation of the ca. It emphasizes on the friendly atmosphere, leadership, creativity, spiritual maturity.

According to our observation, this college makes a strict observance of the recommendation of the Vatican II document on the Priestly training which states: “the entire training of the students should be oriented to the formation of true shepherds of souls after the model of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Teacher, Priest and Shepherd” (Optatam Totius 4). Utume College has been established in 1986 as a community of Salesian students who were going to Tangaza for the theological and spiritual studies. In the year 2001 the process of opening their own study center was initiated. The General Councilor for Formation asked the members of Curatorium of Don Bosco Utume to have their own study center for theology students coming from English speaking countries of Africa to Don Bosco Utume for four years. The idea was nourished, and this institution became an autonomous theological college and was officially opened on August 17, 2010.

The University started with 16 Salesian students and one from Cottolengo. On of August2, 2014, the Vatican Congregation for the Catholic Education officially approved the affiliation of Don Bosco Utume-Salesian Theological College to the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome for five years and later on, it was permanently affiliated for academic and juridical stability. As of now, Utume College welcomes students from other religious families with possibility of hiring their formators for lecturing if they are qualified. In Utume there are Redemptorist students who came after the Cottolengo (2014), the Marian Hill (2015), then the CRM students (1st batch in 2016), Diocesan (2016), the Servants of Mary (2017), the SDP/Oridonin (2020). Now the College has 218 enrolled students, 10 years of experience and 75 courses. Utume College has man- aged to select and assemble a respectable and best team of lecturers from Tangaza College and from Catholic University of Easter Africa (CUEA); some of them are not Salesians but are very commit- ted to a full-time lecturing.

CHALLENGES/ APPRECIATION

It is said that “beginnings are never easy”. Being the first batch at Utume, we had to face the difficulty of starting something new, including some uncertainties entailed by a new situation. Generally, we faced the problems of weather: there was coldness, and above all the problem of language because of our French background. After a short time of learning English, with no hope of practicing it in the Community due to our French origin, we drastically started the theological study and at the very beginning it was not easy.

We found the theological program tightly packed with courses and to cope up we were helped by our sociability in being curious to ask some questions and having times of group discussions (extra class) with our classmates from the English background for a better understanding; thanks for their generosity. We met other people from different countries (around 25 of them) with different manners of life and, as young missionaries, we learned much from this rich encounter with people who are not of our origins. From this we realized that the key element for harmonious life is “unity in diversity”, and this must be remembered by every person living in a Community if his/her aspiration is communion and thus imitating the Unity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Other difficulties may have been also experienced on a personal level because of the various adjustments each one had to make as an individual. Thanks be to God for the gift of community life which made this and other difficulties much easier to bear.

We really appreciate the Salesian style of life in its various organization, in welcoming each per- son without discrimination. We felt at home by their conducive environment (spiritual-intellectual) for the four years of our theological study (2016-2020). This made us more inspired to meditate on the seriousness and the beauty of our future missionary activities.

Finally, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to the Father General of the CRM, Teodoro Kalaw and his Council, to the Superior of the African Delegation Fr. Faustin Kambale Binywa and his Council, to Frs. Norbert, Aimable, Emmanuel, Mukulukulu, Charles Lwanzo, for having helped us to make our theological cursus successful and effective through various kinds of help. We are also grateful to our CRM Brothers in Nairobi for their mutual support and harmonious life in building the Kingdom of God in our Community.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL. AMRG.

Brother Kizito Muhindo Shamavu, CRM