141 Students Honored in BYU Pathway’s First-Ever Completion Ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya

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On April 25^th, 2026 in the Upper Hill Chapel in Nairobi, Kenya, a completion ceremony was held for students graduating with a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, and those who have completed the pathway track.  This celebration, the first ever held in Kenya, honored 141 students who have participated and completed the BYU Pathway Worldwide program. 

A joyful spirit prevailed throughout the event as students celebrated their success and expressed their profound gratitude for the pathway program.  “I am so excited today since we are graduating in BYU Pathways,” stated Janet Chirchir.  “I’m so happy.  I’ve gained skills; in the future I will apply these skills in my future jobs and to the community, the Church, and family.”

Another student, Kennedy Githami, a recent convert to the Church who is currently awaiting his mission call, shared his heartfelt feelings of what the program means to him explaining, “I am pursuing a bachelor's degree in applied communication.  It means so much to me because it’s really given me access to remote opportunities which I otherwise wouldn’t have, and it’s changed and improved the quality of my life in a great, great way.  So, I would say BYU Pathways is God’s gift to Africa and as Africans we should take care of it and just excel in our studies.”  He went on to add, “It has helped me learn so many things including how to communicate better with people and all the soft skills needed to excel in a remote space.  And just so many others, including preparing to serve a mission, and I’m just so grateful that I met BYU Pathways when I did.” 

Valedictorian, Felina Alumande, addressed her fellow students recounting some of their shared experiences, “This journey was not easy,” she stated.  “Some of us studied by candlelight, without data, power went out, some of us fought through slow internet, shared devices – or no devices at all.  Some balance school, work, family, and Church services and responsibilities… and yet we kept going.  We showed up when it was uncomfortable.  We believed, sometimes barely, that something better was ahead.  We showed up for gathering, even when it rained, and maybe that’s what makes today so powerful.  Not just that we finished, but how we finished.  We are not just graduates, we are evidence that education can bring change, evidence that faith and education together can change lives.  Evidence that when determination meets purpose, miracles happen.”

Felina concluded her remarks by pointing out that, “This is just the beginning.  Today is not the finish line, it is the launching point. Let us not forget the late nights we pushed through, the prayers we whispered, and the strength we discovered within ourselves, because if we can do this, we can do much more.  As we move forward, let us carry this truth with us; we are capable, we are prepared, we are children of God, we are just getting started. Congratulations class of BYU Pathways Kenya.  We made it and the best is yet to come.”

Other speakers included area leaders for BYU Pathways Worldwide, the Africa Central Area Director of Temporal Affairs, Francis-Kazeh Afo, and Area Seventy, Elder George Munene, who concluded the program by thanking all in attendance for “coming to witness this historic event.”   Explaining, “I say historic because this is the first time in the history of the Church, and I want you to mark these words, the first time in the history of the Church in Kenya, that a BYU Pathway graduation like this is happening.  So you’re part of the history that is being made here today, and I want to thank you for making this happen.”  Adding that, “The Lord has given you and I opportunities today to be able to excel.  What you do with those opportunities is up to you.  How you apply those opportunities will determine the steps that you make in life.”

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