The spiritual practices impeding access to education among the Kabonokia followers in Tharaka North Sub-County, Kenya

This study examined the concept of spiritual practices undermining access to education among Kabonokia followers in Tharaka North Sub-County, Kenya. The specific objective was to explore the specific spiritual practices that impede access to education among the Kabonokia followers in the study area. An ethnographic qualitative design employing purposive sampling, interviews, observations, and qualitative content analysis was used. The study was guided by Social Identity Theory, which explains how group membership shapes individuals’ beliefs, behaviors, and conformity to social norms, influencing decision-making, collective identity, social interactions, and responses to formal institutions such as schools. The study found that baptism, prayer meetings, and religious ceremonies interfered with school attendance, the distinctive attire of the girls was in conflict with school rules, which led to absenteeism and dropout. Divine communication also had an effect on early marriages and schooling, and fasting had a sporadic effect on concentration and attendance. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing rare ethnographic, community-based evidence on how specific lived spiritual practices within the Kabonokia denomination shape educational participation in rural Kenyan context. This study shows how specific spiritual practices disrupt schooling, offering a micro-level explanation of the interaction between religion and education in marginalized communities.