This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
Kenyan scholars and leaders are mourning the loss of Prof. John Mbiti, a renowned theologian who passed away on Sunday, 6 October 2019, at the age of 88.
According to The Standard, Prof. Mbiti died while undergoing medication at a hospital in Switzerland.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga and US-based Kenyan scholar Prof. Makau Mutua were among those who paid tribute to the late theologian.
Prof. Mbiti's contributions to African theology and philosophy will be remembered for generations to come. His groundbreaking work, including the book 'African Religions and Philosophy' (1969), has been a source of inspiration for many.
Prof. Mbiti was a respected lecturer and author who undertook his studies in the US, the United Kingdom, and Uganda. He was once a religion and theology lecturer at Makerere University in Uganda and authored several books, including 'African Religions and Philosophy' (1969) and the first African translation of the Bible into Kamba language.
He was ordained as a priest of the Anglican Church in 1980 and became a parish minister in the reformed church of Bergdorf. Prof. Mbiti settled in Switzerland with his wife and their four children, where he lectured at the University of Bern until his death.
