St.Matthias Mulumba Senior Seminary is Kenya's National Theologicum Seminary for training of Catholic clergy. It is the youngest of four National Catholic Seminaries in Kenya and is owned and run by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops K.C.C.B and the Holy See. As of 2014 it was the biggest theologicum in Kenya, with over 100 students and a capacity for double the number.
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It celebrated its silver Jubilee on 14 February 2014.
History
The seminary's history can be dated from around 1962, when Mill Hill priest Fr. Kuhn was asked by the bishop of Kisumu to start a parish in Tindinyo. Fr. Kuhn invited the Xaverian Brothers from Mumias to establish their house and serve Tindinyo parish. These brothers built a school, Our lady of Perpetual Help Secondary school for form I and II for their aspirants.
By around 1968-69 there were hardly any aspirants joining the school, and it was converted into a high school for forms V and VI of St. Peters Minor Seminary. During that time it was unofficially referred to as “Tindinyo College.” Among the prominent students of the then Tindinyo college are Bishop John Oballa Owaa, the ordinary of Ngong diocese and Bishop Norman King’oo Wambua, ordinary of Bungoma diocese. This college was faced out with the introduction of the 8-4-4 system of education.
Meanwhile, the Catholic bishops of Kenya were contemplating beginning a Second Theologicum to serve as home for African Christian Theology and inculturation, and Tindinyo provided a fertile ground for such an enterprise. On 27 January 1989 the new theologicum opened its doors to 79 students, a resident staff of three priests (the founding rector was Fr. Sylvester Sulwe) and served by the Assumption Sisters of Eldoret. It was named after the oldest Uganda Martyr, St. Matthias Mulumba Kalemba. On 22 February 1989 the seminary was officially inaugurated by the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya Archbishop Clemente Faccani accompanied by all the bishops of Kenya, including Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga. Later the Seminary was affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome and was hence able to offer the Baccalaureate Degree in Sacred Theology in addition to its internal Diploma in Theology.
Tindinyo Seminary was temporarily closed on 16 February 2005. It was reopened on 5 August 2005 with 79 theology I students and three resident staff by the Assumption Sisters of Eldoret. The staff comprised Fr. Maurice Muhatia Makumba (later Bishop of Nakuru), Fr. Michael Kamau Ithondeka (Vice Rector and dean of students ) and Fr. Edward Kipyegon (spiritual Director and dean of Studies). The seminary was officially inaugurated on August 7, 2005 by Nicodemus Kirima of the Archdiocese of Nyeri. Later on 4 November 2006, the apostolic nuncio to Kenya Alain Paul Lebeaupin made an apostolic visit.
The Seminary's first Rector was Fr. Sylvester Sulwe. Others include Fathers Benjamin Kiriswa, Patrick Maliti, John Philiph Odero, Boniface Kariuki, Maurice Muhatia Makumba (later Bishop of Nakuru), Dominic Kimengich (later Bishop of Lodwar), Daniel Nakameti, and, as of 2014, Douglas Mwinja.
Former students
Among prominent former students are:
Professors
Among the professors who have taught in the Seminary are: