The Ministry of Education has released updated directives for teaching Literature in English and Fasihi ya Kiswahili in Senior Schools, accompanied by a list of approved textbooks from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
The new framework outlines the genres, texts, and learning objectives students are expected to cover throughout their three years in Senior School.
In a circular dated February 23, 2026, Education PS Julius Bitok explained that the curriculum includes guidance on the number of texts to be studied, expected learning outcomes, time allocation for each genre, and recommended learning activities.
“For consistency in terms of scope and sequence, some texts are designated as set books to be studied and assessed over a period of time,” he said, adding that some books are intended only for reference.
Under the new rules, Grade 10 learners will study a play and a novel from Kenya, Grade 11 will focus on African works, and Grade 12 will explore texts from the rest of the world. For autobiographies and biographies, a single set text will be used across all three years.
Short story anthologies will similarly feature a collection from Kenya, Africa, and the rest of the world, with one textbook spanning Grades 10 to 12. Reference texts will cover Poetry, Oral Literature, and Fiction.
In Fasihi ya Kiswahili, students will study Tamthilia la Lwanza, la Pili, and la Tatu, as well as Riwaya. Other categories such as Wasifu, Hadithi Fupi, Diwani ya Mashairi, Kitabu cha Ushairi, Kitabu cha Fasihi Simulizi, and Kitabu cha Fasihi (Bunilizi) will each have one designated text for the three-year period.
PS Bitok emphasized that “genres set texts for Fasihi ya Kiswahili are not necessarily based on the regions where the texts were published, but on variety in terms of plot, themes, style and complexity.” He noted that KICD will update the prescribed genres every four years.
Among the approved texts in English, Dreams Denied by James Karuga (Storymoja) will serve as the set play, while Kinyanjui Kombani’s Dear Mama (Oxford University Press) is the designated autobiography.
The Gold Coin and Other Stories by Prof Henry Indangasi, Charles Gecaga, Dr Anna Kula, Muchiri Mukunga, and Dr Larry Ndivo (Kenya Literature Bureau) will be used as the short story anthology, and the novel The Parting Clouds by Ken Kamoche (East African Educational Publishers) will be studied throughout Grades 10 to 12.
For Poetry, Voices from the Woods by Christopher Okemwa (East African Educational Publishers) and Master Poetry by Abigail Kinya, Lucas Wafula, and Otunga Oloo (Booklyst Press) will serve as reference texts. Oral Literature for Senior School by Mark Chitambe, Juvenalis Mwairumba, and Judith Onywany (Moran Publishers) will also be a reference text.
In Kiswahili, Mlemavu? Sio Mimi by Godfrey Ipalei (Oxford University Press) has been approved for Wasifu, with Fumbo la Baba by Kenna Wasike (Hummingbird Mussik) designated for Riwaya. Jahazi La Mchongomа by George Okach will be used for Tamthilia, while Dila ya Ushairi by Timothy Arege (Access Publishers Limited) will cover the poetry segment.
Kichaa cha Mlungula na Hadithi Nyingine, authored by a group of writers including Hamisi Babusa, Clara Momanyi, Kenna Wasike, and others, will be used for Hadithi Fupi across all grades.
PS Bitok said that while some texts are set books, others in Poetry, Oral Literature, and Fiction are reference materials. Teachers and learners are encouraged to consult any additional KICD-approved textbooks in these genres to complement learning.
KICD has completed the evaluation and approval process for set books in Literature through 2030, with plans to release additional texts in the near future.
