State releases list of approved set books Senior School

The Ministry of Education has issued guidelines on Literature in English and Fasihi ya Kiswahili, as the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) released a list of approved textbooks.

In a circular dated February 23, 2026, Education PS  Julius Bitok said teaching of the two subjects in Senior School involves studying several genres and texts.

The genres are identified in the Curriculum Designs, which also guide on expected learning outcomes, the projected time to be spent studying each genre, the number of texts to be studied and suggested learning experiences, among other valuable information.

“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,” PS Bitok say adding that some books are for reference.

In the new guidelines, all Grade 10 students will be taken through a Playbook and Novel from Kenya, a Grade 11 from Africa and a Grade 12 from the rest of the World.

For an autobiography and biography, the students are to be taken through one set text to be studied during the three years at Senior School.

For an anthology of short stories, they will be taken through a collection from Kenya, Africa and the Rest of the World with one textbook to be studied over the three years at Senior School.

One textbook will be used as a reference during the three years the learners are at Senior School in the cadres of an anthology of poems, Poetry and Fiction & Oral Literature.

In Fasihi, there will be Tamthilia la Lwanza, la Pili and la Tatu, same as Riwaya, while the other cadres of Wasifu, Hadithi Fupi, Diwani ya Mashairi, Kitabu cha Usahairi, Kitabu cha Fasihi Simulizi and Kitabu cha Fasihi (Bunilizi) will have one text each for the three years.

“KICD finalised the process of evaluation and approval of some of the set books for Literature into 2030. A list of more set books and textbooks shall be provided in due course,” PS Bitok added.

Among the approved set books include for a Play is Dreams Denied, authored by James Karuga and published by Storymoja, while for Autobiography its Dear Mama, written by Kinyanjui Kombani and published by Oxford University Press.

The Gold Coin and Other Stories by Prof Henry Indangasi, Charles Gecaga, Dr Anna Kula, Muchiri Mukunga and Dr Larry Ndivo published by Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB), will be used as an Anthology of Short Stories (to be studied in Grades 10, 11 and 12).

Anthology of Poems (to be studied in Grades 10, Il and 12) will have Voices from the Woods authored by Christopher Okemwa and published by East African Educational Publishers Limited.

The Parting Clouds, written by Ken Kamoche and published by East African Educational Publishers Limited, will be used as a Novel.

The other one is Oral Literature for Senior School book by Mark Chitambe, Juvenalis Mwairumba, Judith Onywany published by Moran (EA) Publishers Ltd, while Master Poetry by Abigail Kinya, Lucas Wafula, Otunga Oloo published by Booklyst Press will be used as a poetry text.

In Fasihi’s Tawasifu, ‘Mlemavu? Sio Mimi’ by Godfrey Ipalei and published by Oxford University Press has been approved alongside Fumbo la Baba by Kenna Wasike and published by Hummingbird Mussik for Riwaya.

Jahazi La Mchongomа by George Okach will be used for Tamthilia, while Dila ya Ushairi by Timothy Arege and published by Access Publishers Limited has been approved as Kitabu cha Ushairi for Grades 10, 11 and 12.

Kichaa cha Mlungula na Hadithi Nyingine, jointly authored by Hamisi Babusa, Clara Momanyi, Kenna Wasike, Jacob Masika, Dominic Oigo, Rachel Maina, Evalyne Vaati, Titus M. Kaui, Geoffrey Mug'ou, Beth Mutugu, Edwin Omindo, Marcella Karimi, Muhiddin Ngashe, Reuben Wanyama, Teri Were, Rebecca Nandwa, Masoud Nassor, Daniel Okello, Hassan Ali, Nyeita Maitaria, Kyallo Muusya, Rayya Timammy, Muthoni Muchemi and Ekilah Ndung'u, will be used for Hadithi Fupi for all the grades.

“The textbooks in Poetry, Oral Literature and Fiction are reference texts. They are not set books. Teachers and Learners are advised to make reference to any other textbooks in these genres that are approved by KICD, like in other subjects,” Bitok stated.

The PS said 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 and that KICD shall prescribe the genres indicated to be studied every four years.