Daystar University to Break Ground on Long-Awaited Chapel Building in Historic June 24 Ceremony

After more than four decades of vision, prayer, and perseverance, Daystar University will officially break ground on the construction of a 1,000-seater Chapel building at its Main Campus in Athi River on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The Chapel project—estimated to cost Ksh 239 million—marks a deeply significant milestone in the university’s spiritual and institutional journey.

Rooted in the university’s founding mission to develop Christian servant leaders, the dream of a dedicated Chapel dates back to 1973, when Daystar Communications established its first campus on Valley Road in Nairobi. A modest chapel was constructed and later repurposed into a library to accommodate the university’s expanding student body.

Since then, successive leaders and community members have sustained the Chapel vision. In 1991, during the groundbreaking of the Athi River campus, then-Chairman of the Executive Board, Mr. James J. Mageria, expressed a strong desire for a Chapel to be built on “the highest point on the rock,” symbolizing the university’s aspiration to be a university with a difference.

One of the most remarkable efforts to bring the dream to life came in 1999, when founding Vice Chancellor Prof. Stephen Talitwala led a 22-day fundraising walk from Kampala to Nairobi, covering 820 kilometers. The initiative, known as the "Walk for the Chapel", mobilized a diverse team of students, alumni, faculty, church leaders, and government officials across East Africa, capturing the hearts of thousands. The envisioned chapel was to be called The Lighthouse of Prayer.

The historic walk raised over Ksh 30 million, locally and through Daystar US. Despite this progress, the chapel remained unrealized—until recently.

In 2019, Daystar’s Fourth Vice Chancellor, Prof. Laban Ayiro, reignited the vision and launched new fundraising efforts. To date, an additional Ksh 7.2 million has been raised in support of the chapel’s construction.

“This groundbreaking is more than just a ceremony—it is the culmination of years of prayer, sacrifice, and unwavering belief,” said a university spokesperson. “The Chapel will stand as a testament to Daystar’s identity and commitment to nurturing spiritually grounded leaders.”

The Chapel Groundbreaking Ceremony will be held from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM on June 24, 2025, at the Main Campus in Athi River. Alumni, staff, students, donors, church partners, and friends of Daystar are all invited to attend and be part of this long-awaited event.

This Chapel is not just a building—it is a legacy in stone, faith, and vision.

Save the date—and be there to witness history in the making.