Bachelor of African Religion and Culture

Introduction to African Religion and Culture

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Foundational introduction to African religious traditions, cultural practices, belief systems, and worldviews — examining the diversity and commonality of African religion across different communit...

Sociology of Religion

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Sociological perspectives on religion including the social functions of religion, religion and social change, religious institutions, and the relationship between religion and society in African co...

African Philosophy

Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore

Philosophical traditions in Africa, African epistemology, and philosophical analysis of African worldviews.

Islam in Africa

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

History and development of Islam in Africa, Muslim societies, and Islamic cultural influence.

The Church in Africa

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

History of Christianity in Africa, African Christian theologies, and the Church's social and political role.

African Philosophy and Thought Systems

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

Study of African philosophical traditions including concepts of reality, personhood, community, ethics, and knowledge — examining how African thought shapes religious and cultural practices.

Religion and Politics in Africa

Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

Relationship between religion and politics, religious nationalism, and religion in governance.

African Rituals and Ceremonies

Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

Study of African rituals, ceremonies, rites of passage, and religious festivals — documenting and analysing their social, cultural, and religious significance across different African communities.

African Women Theologies

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Contributions of African women theologians, feminist theology, and gender perspectives in African religion.

Comparative Religion

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Comparative study of African religion, Christianity, Islam, and other world religions — examining similarities, differences, syncretism, and interfaith relations in African contexts.

African Religion, Marriage and Family Life

Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

African perspectives on marriage, family systems, kinship, and rites of passage.

Research Project in African Religion and Culture

Year 4Semester 16 creditsCore

Final-year research project on an African religion or culture topic, assessed through a written dissertation.

African Indigenous Religions

Focus on the study of indigenous African belief systems, rituals, and practices — examining the diversity of African religious traditions across different ethnic communities in Kenya and Africa.

African Philosophy and Thought

Focus on African philosophical traditions, ethical systems, and worldviews — exploring how African thought shapes understanding of reality, morality, and human existence.

Religion and Culture in Contemporary Africa

Focus on the interaction between African religion and contemporary culture — examining how traditional beliefs adapt to modernisation, globalisation, and social change.

Comparative Religion in African Context

Focus on comparing African religion with Christianity, Islam, and other world religions as practised in Africa — examining syncretism, dialogue, and conflict.

African Rituals and Ceremonies

Focus on the study of African rituals, ceremonies, and rites of passage — documenting and analysing their social, cultural, and religious significance.

Religion and Development in Africa

Focus on the role of African religion in community development, social change, and policy — examining how religious beliefs and practices influence development initiatives.

African Indigenous Religion

Study of traditional African religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and their contemporary relevance.

Christianity in Africa

History and development of Christianity in Africa, African theologies, and the Church's role in society.

Islam in Africa

Islamic traditions in Africa, Muslim-Christian relations, and Islam's cultural and political influence.

Religion and Society

Sociology of religion, religion and politics, religion and gender, and religion's role in social transformation.

HELB Undergraduate Loan

County Government Bursaries

University Scholarships and Bursaries

Higher Education Fund (HEF)

ScholarshipKsh 126,000Kenyan

Needy students placed by KUCCPS in public universities, assessed through Means Testing Instrument.

County Government Bursaries

BursaryKsh 30,000Kenyan

Students from the respective county, applied through county education offices.

Kenyatta University Internal Bursaries

BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan

Needy students enrolled at Kenyatta University, applied through the financial aid office.

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan

LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan

Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited university programmes.

End of Semester Examinations

Exam50% of the mark

Written examinations covering theoretical and analytical aspects of each module.

Continuous Assessment Tests and Essays

Cat30% of the mark

Regular tests, essays, seminar presentations, and class participation throughout the semester.

Field Research Report

Practicum10% of the mark

Field study examining religious practices in a local community, assessed through a written report.

Research Project

Project10% of the mark

Final-year dissertation on an African religion or culture topic.

Continuous Assessment Tests

Coursework30% of the mark

Written tests covering African religion content, philosophy, sociology of religion, and comparative religion — assessed through mid-semester and end-of-semester examinations.

Commission for University Education (CUE)

Academic accreditationRequired

Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes. The Bachelor of African Religion and Culture was CUE-accredited at Kenyatta University in 2013.

Religious Studies Teacher (with PGDE)

Moderate demandKsh 34,955 to Ksh 43,694

Teaches religious studies in secondary schools after completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Education — with African religion expertise being valuable for CRE and IRE instruction.

Community Development Officer

High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000

Works with communities on development initiatives — applying understanding of African cultural and religious practices to design culturally appropriate development programmes.

Cultural Researcher

Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 65,000

Conducts research on African cultural practices and religious traditions for museums, research institutions, NGOs, and academic publications — documenting and preserving cultural heritage.

Faith-Based Organisation Officer

Moderate demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 60,000

Works in faith-based organisations and NGOs — applying knowledge of African religion to community outreach, interfaith dialogue, and social development programmes.

Civil Service Officer

Moderate demandKsh 42,970 to Ksh 59,120

Works in government ministries handling cultural affairs, social services, or education — applying understanding of African religion and culture to policy and administration.

Religious Education Teacher

Moderate demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000

Teaches Christian Religious Education or Islamic Religious Education in secondary schools (requires PGDE).

Research Assistant

Low demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 45,000

Supports research projects on religion, culture, and social issues in academic institutions and think tanks.

Interfaith Coordinator

Low demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 50,000

Facilitates dialogue and cooperation between different religious communities in NGOs and religious bodies.

Microsoft Office Suite

SoftwarePrimary

Productivity tools including Word for research papers, Excel for data analysis, PowerPoint for presentations, and Access for managing research data.

SPSS

SoftwarePrimary

Statistical analysis software for research data — used for analysing survey data, cultural research findings, and sociological studies of religion.

Google Workspace

Software

Collaboration and productivity tools for document creation, project coordination, and team collaboration in research and community work.

Kenyatta University Library Resources

Resource

Extensive physical and digital library resources including academic journals on African religion, philosophy, and cultural studies — supporting research and coursework.

National Museums of Kenya Archives

Resource

Cultural archives and resources documenting African cultural practices, traditions, and indigenous knowledge — essential for field research and cultural studies.

Microsoft Word

WritingPrimary

NVivo

Qualitative analysis

Zotero

Reference management

African Religion is not a serious academic subject.

African religion is studied in universities worldwide as a legitimate academic discipline — scholars publish in peer-reviewed journals, and the field contributes to understanding African philosophy, culture, and social systems.

This programme is about practising African traditional religion.

The programme studies African religion academically — students learn about beliefs, rituals, and cultural practices from a scholarly perspective, without being required to practise any religion.

Graduates can only work as religious leaders.

Graduates work in teaching, NGOs, community development, cultural research, civil service, interfaith dialogue, and academia — the skills are transferable across multiple sectors.

African Religion and Culture is outdated and irrelevant.

African religious traditions continue to shape contemporary African society — understanding them is essential for community development, cultural preservation, policy-making, and interfaith relations in modern Kenya.

This is the same as a general Religious Studies degree.

While related, this programme specifically focuses on African religious traditions and culture — providing specialised expertise that general Religious Studies programmes covering Christianity and Islam do not offer.