I walked into the Father’s Day celebration expecting conversations about fathers as providers, but walked away thinking about presence.

For generations, fatherhood was almost universally understood. A good father provided. He protected. He sacrificed. Love was measured in school fees paid, food on the table, and the quiet burdens carried without complaint. But somewhere along the way, the definition began to shift.

Today’s father is still expected to provide, but he is also expected to listen. To mentor. To show emotion. To attend school events, survive teenage conversations, navigate social media, answer difficult questions, and somehow remain the family’s anchor in a world that seems to reinvent itself every day.

That was precisely the conversation unfolding at Strathmore University’s Father’s Day celebration on Friday, June 19, 2026. Organised by the People and Culture Department under the theme Modern Fatherhood: The Evolving Face of Fatherhood in the Current Generation, the afternoon provided a platform for honest conversation about what fatherhood asks of men today.

The first thought-provoking moment came from the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Partnerships and Development, Dr. Edward Mungai. He linked fatherhood to Strathmore University’s mission of serving society, reminding us that society begins at home. If the family is the smallest unit of society, then fathers are among its first servants.

His message was simple. Yes, fathers provide. But providing is no longer enough. “Presence matters,” he reminded the audience.

That sentence lingered with me throughout the afternoon. It also reflects what researchers around the world are beginning to discover. Studies exploring modern fatherhood suggest that men are not abandoning their traditional role as providers. Instead, they are expanding it. The modern father is not replacing the old one; he is becoming an extension of him, adding empathy, emotional connection, guidance, and availability to responsibilities that have always existed.

As moderator Fredrick Odhiambo steered the panel discussion, each speaker added another layer to that picture.

Dr. Caesar Mwangi called fatherhood “a marvelous adventure,” but he quickly reminded us that adventures require preparation. He spoke passionately about intentional parenting in a society overflowing with distractions.

Today’s father, he argued, must protect children not only from physical danger but also from materialism, unhealthy digital influences, and the subtle erosion of values. Then he offered perhaps the most memorable image of the afternoon.

“The family is like a glass ball,” he said. “When it falls, it breaks.” Unlike work, careers, or businesses that can often recover from failure, families require careful handling every single day.

Henry Kanyonga picked up the conversation from another angle. He observed that fatherhood itself has become more demanding because society has changed. Communities that once shared the responsibility of raising children have gradually disappeared. Fathers now find themselves making decisions that previous generations made collectively.

“Our understanding of fatherhood must evolve with the changing context and culture,” he said. “In the past, communities shared many parenting responsibilities. Today, fathers find themselves making many of those decisions on their own.”

Clearly, the job description has grown. So has the responsibility.

Argwigs Koyoson shifted the discussion from responsibilities to values. Listening to him, I realized that children rarely become what we tell them to become. More often, they become what they consistently see.

“As fathers, we set the values we want to see in our children,” he observed.

His reminder that children need fathers to be guides, not merely friends, sparked quiet reflection across the audience. Then came a perspective that broadened the conversation even further.

Fr. Martin Mundia spoke about spiritual fatherhood. He reminded us that all fatherhood ultimately finds its origin in the fatherhood of God. Providing and protecting remain important, he said, but fathers are equally called to become living examples of integrity, peace, and moral courage.

“Fathers are called to provide, protect, and embody moral values,” he said. “Children learn as much from what they see as from what they are told. Monkey see, monkey do, so to speak. Fathers must therefore become peace builders, living examples of the virtues they hope to pass on.”

As the discussions drew to a close, I found myself returning to Dr. Mungai’s opening remark. Presence.

As someone who hopes to be a father someday, I realised that perhaps this is what modern fatherhood is really asking for. Not fathers who choose between being providers or caregivers, but fathers who embrace both. Men who build careers without losing their families. Men who protect without controlling. Men who lead with strength yet are not afraid to show tenderness. Men who understand that some of life’s greatest investments are measured not in money earned, but in moments shared.

If there was one lesson I carried away from Strathmore’s Father’s Day celebration, it is that fatherhood is not abandoning its traditional foundations, it is building on them. The modern father still provides. He still protects. But increasingly, he also listens, mentors, encourages, laughs, apologises, and simply shows up.

As I left the event, I couldn’t help but wonder, if and when my turn comes, will I be that kind of father? One whose children remember not only what I gave them, but that I was there.

To all the fathers, and those still rehearsing for the role, like me, Happy Father’s Day. Keep showing up. The dad jokes are optional, but your presence never is.

Article written by Stephen Wakhu