Statistics indicate that Africa has the youngest population in the world, making it the youngest continent in the world with at least 70% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa being under the age of 30 years. Further reports show that a good number of these young people, at least 60% of them, are in learning institutions, places that have become soft and primary targets to elements of religious intolerance, radicalization, and violent extremism as they seek to recruit many more young people into their folds.

It is for these reasons that The Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) strategically designed a proactive approach and platform – The PROCMURA Chapters in Learning Institutions, under the Youth and Religious Tolerance programme to not only sensitize the youth in learning institutions across Africa on these phenomena but also help inculcate the spirit of religious tolerance for peace and peaceful coexistence of young people from various religious affiliations.

On Thursday, June 9, 2022, the Technical University of Kenya, one of Kenya’s premier public universities, added to the list of the institutions that have embraced and officially launched the PROCMURA Chapters in Learning Institutions in a colourful ceremony graced by PROCMURA’s senior management led by the General Adviser, Rev. Dr Adrake Komi, and the institution’s administration led by the Dean of Students, Prof. Omondi Oketch.

The PROCMURA-Technical University of Kenya (TUK) Chapter, as an interfaith movement will proactively engage the youth on matters related to religious tolerance, peace, and peaceful coexistence not only within the institution but also extend its wings to the community as it is strategically located in the heart of Kenya’s Capital, Nairobi.

Prof. Oketch commended PROCMURA’s move as a proactive and unique way of engaging the youth and ensuring that young people in learning institutions live together with their religious differences and have mutual respect for one another and other religions. The inauguration comes at a challenging time when several learning institutions around Africa continue to report cases of increased religious intolerance.

He further underscored the importance and uniqueness of the movement’s composition that brings on board all stakeholders including members of the university’s administration, student leaders, and leaders of different faith communities in the university and students, making the vision and mission more realistic, viable and workable in any learning institution.

In addition to serving its purpose and mission of proactively engaging the youth on issues around religious tolerance, radicalization, and violent extremism within learning institutions and offering a platform for a structured working relationship between PROCMURA and learning institutions, the PROCMURA Chapters in Learning Institutions seek to create a movement/network of Youth Peace Ambassadors across the continent for community sensitization on the same.

The General Adviser, Rev. Dr. Adrake Komi, who officially launched and commissioned the chapter, particularly thanked the administration of the Technical University of Kenya for creating a favourable environment for the movement to be launched. He further extended PROCMURA’s appreciation to the various stakeholders including the interim officials who burned the midnight oil to make sure the launch was successful.

The PROCMURA-TUK Chapter has already registered a substantive number of youth in the university. As Kenya prepares for its General Elections on 9th of August, 2022, arrangements are underway for the university students, through the chapter, to conduct awareness raising and sensitisation campaigns for peaceful elections at the community level.

This move will provide an opportunity for the youth to be proactively involved in and contribute towards the call by various stakeholders for peaceful elections come the August elections.

More photos from the event...