Teresa Wacera Kìragū

Contents

Teresa Wacera Kìragū, is a Kenyan Catholic religious sister of the Assumption Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Nairobi, moral theologian, researcher, writer, and lecturer. Kiragu has contributed to healthcare ethics and moral theology in Africa, her service as African regional coordinator for the Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church (CTEWC), and her selection as a 2024 fellow of the Women Faith Leaders Fellowship at Georgetown University. She has contributed to the formation of pastoral agents and catechists at the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya's (AOSK) Chemi Chemi Ya Uzima Institute of Pastoral and Catechetical Ministry. Her scholarship focuses on holistic healthcare ethics in African Catholic hospitals and the integration of ethical reflection with pastoral and social practice.

Early life and education

Kiragu was born in Othaya, Central Kenya, and is the youngest of eight siblings.[1] She was raised in a devout Catholic family and discerned a vocation to religious life at an early age, eventually joining the Assumption Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Nairobi.[1]

Kìragū pursued her higher education at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), where she obtained a diploma in philosophy, undergraduate degrees in philosophy and sacred theology.[1][2][3] She later earned both a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in Moral Theology from the same institution in 2021[4][2] Her doctoral dissertation, Holistic Healthcare Ethics and a Culture of Life: Towards a New Approach to Healing in Catholic Hospitals in Africa, examines ethical frameworks for healing practices within Catholic healthcare systems on the continent.[3][1] Kiragu is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Boston College.[1]

Career

Kìragū serves as a lecturer in theology and ethics at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, where she teaches moral theology, bioethics, and social ethics, and has also contributed to the formation of pastoral agents and catechists at the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya's (AOSK)[5] Chemi Chemi Ya Uzima Institute of Pastoral and Catechetical Ministry. Her academic and professional work focuses on healthcare ethics, virtue ethics, Catholic moral theology, and social ethics, including active involvement in hospital ethics committees, workshops, and the development of ethical guidelines for Catholic health institutions.[1][3]

Kiragu is the African regional coordinator for the Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church (CTEWC), a global network promoting theological scholarship and dialogue, and participates in continental initiatives such as the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN), advancing conversations on health, healing, and pastoral theology in Africa.[3] In 2024, she was selected as a fellow of the Women Faith Leaders Fellowship at Georgetown University, recognizing her contributions to global theological scholarship and ethical leadership.[4][6] A central focus of her career has been advancing holistic healthcare ethics in African Catholic hospitals, integrating human dignity, pastoral care, and bioethical reflection within faith-based healthcare, with extensive publications attesting to her scholarly expertise.[7]

Publication

Kiragu, T. W. (2022). Holistic healthcare ethics and culture of life: Towards a new approach to healing in Catholic hospitals in Africa (Doctoral dissertation). Catholic University of Eastern Africa Press.

Kiragu, T., Mugambi, D. K., & Kinai, T. (2022). Field dependent‑independent cognitive styles as correlates of reading comprehension performance among form two students in Kiambu County, Kenya. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 6(8), 490–498.

Kiragu, T., Mugambi, D. K., & Kinai, T. (2022). Learning goal orientations as correlates of reading comprehension performance among secondary school students in Kiambu County, Kenya. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 6(8), 532–546.

Kiragu, T., Isoe, J., & Muthui, P. (2023). Gender differences in field dependent and field independent cognitive learning styles toward reading comprehension among secondary school students in Kiambu County, Kenya. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 7(10), 2209–2217.

Kiragu, T. W. (2020). Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare. Paper presented at the Bioethics Society of Kenya Annual Conference, Mombasa, Kenya.

Reproduction and the Common Good: Global Perspectives from the Catholic Tradition (2024). Edited volume addressing global ethical dimensions of reproduction.

References

  1. 1.[1.2][1.3][1.4][1.5][1.6]Women Faith Leaders Fellowship (17 April 2025). "A Conversation with Sister Teresa Kiragu, a Sister in the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi Congregation". Women Faith Leaders Fellowship. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  2. 2.[2.2]Kahiu, Magdalene (29 October 2021). "Foster Honesty, Truth to Overcome Life's Challenges: Kenyan Catholic Priest to Graduands". AciaAfrica. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  3. 3.[3.2][3.3][3.4]PactPan Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (6 March 2026). "Sr. Teresa Kiragu: Religious Sister, Researcher, and Writer". PactPan Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  4. 4.[4.2]Women Faith Leaders Fellowship (3 March 2026). "Women Faith Leaders Fellowship". Women Faith Leaders Fellowship.
  5. 5.ASSOCIATION OF SISTERHOODS OF KENYA (AOSK) (6 March 2026). "ASSOCIATION OF SISTERHOODS OF KENYA (AOSK)". acweca. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  6. 6.Catholic Ethics (June 2025). "The First The Monthly Newsletter of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church" (PDF). Catholic Ethics. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  7. 7.Njeru, Gitonga (9 February 2026). "Kenyan nuns fill the maternal health gap in climate-stressed regions". Global Sisters Report. Retrieved 6 March 2026.