Opposition Chief Raila Odinga and US-based lawyer Makau Mutua mourned the death of a renowned Kenyan scholar, theologian and philosopher Prof John Mbiti.
Prof Mbiti died aged 88 while undergoing treatment in Switzerland.
In his condolence message, Raila recalled Prof Mbiti’s contribution to Africa’s religious growth.
“His book African Religions and Philosophy was an eye-opener and groundbreaking work. Condolences to his family. May his soul Rest in Peace,” read Raila’s post on twitter.
Prof Mbiti is well known for his publication of African Religions and Philosophy in 1969 that propelled him to fame among religious scholars.
In his book, Prof Mbiti challenged Christian assumption that traditional African religious ideas were “demonic and anti-Christian.”
However, the book hailed as insight to “illiterate Africans” by many also earned him criticism in an equal share from those that held contrary beliefs.
On his part, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) board of directors Chairman Prof Makau Mutua described Mbiti, whom he had written and celebrated about in his weekly segment, as one of Kenya’s most iconic philosophy and religion scholars.
“Prof John Mbiti, Kenya’s — one of the world’s most iconic philosophy and religion scholars — passed away today in Switzerland,” Makau announced on Twitter.
“Ironically, I wrote about him in my Sunday Nation column today before he passed. May his family and friends know peace,” he added.
Born on November 30, 1931, Prof John Mbiti studied in Uganda and the United States, earning his doctorate in 1963 at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
He taught religion and theology at Makerere University, Uganda from 1964 to 1974 and also served as a director of the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Institute in Bogis-Bossey, Switzerland.
He held visiting professorships at universities across the world and published extensively on philosophy, theology and African oral traditions.
His sympathetic treatment of traditional religions was based on massive field work.
Prof Mbiti was clear that his interpretation of these religions was from a firmly Christian perspective, and this aspect of his work had sometimes been severely criticized.
His research interests included theology in Africa and Asia, and ecumenism. He also collaborated on a book of African proverbs, collected from across the continent.
Locally, he is celebrated as the ‘man’ who translated the Bible from English to the Kamba language.
From 2005, when he was ordained as an Anglican priest, and a canon up until his death in 2019.
Mbiti was an Emeritus professor at the University of Bern and parish minister to the town of Burgdorf, Switzerland.
He is survived by his wife Verena Mbiti-Siegenthaler and four children.
