The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has issued a formal apology following public outcry over contentious content in a Form 3 biology textbook.
The book, titled “Certificate Biology,” contained passages that appeared to place blame on rape victims, sparking widespread concern among Kenyans.
Controversial Sentences Identified
KICD Director and CEO, Prof. Charles Ong’ondo, addressed the issue on Thursday, highlighting two specific sentences that drew criticism.
These sentences, found on page 170 under the topic “Prevention of AIDS,” suggested that rape could be caused by indecent dressing and that adhering to certain dress codes could prevent it.
The controversial text reads:
“Modest dress code and behaviour to avoid provoking or tempting other persons into sexual arousal. Many rape cases are due to such provocations. One should also avoid being alone with a person of the opposite sex in secluded areas to prevent losing one’s control.”
It further states:
“Date rapes are even more common than rape by total strangers. Girls should be especially watchful in not having their drinks mixed with drugs or alcohol, which cause them to lose control of their senses.”
Public Concern and KICD’s Response
Prof. Ong’ondo acknowledged the public’s concerns, stating,
“The Institute acknowledges that indeed the sentences above could be interpreted to suggest that indecent dressing is the main cause of rape and may also insinuate ‘victim blaming’ in the case of rape.”
He added,
“Therefore, KICD offers an apology to readers who consider the quoted sentences in the book Certificate Biology for Form Three to be misleading for not detecting this during the evaluation in 2005.”
Book’s History and Distribution
The textbook was originally published by East African Educational Publishers (EAEP) in 2004 and was evaluated and approved by KICD (then known as KIE) in 2005.
A new edition was printed and distributed to schools in 2018, indicating that the controversial content had persisted for over a decade.
KICD’s Evaluation Process
Prof. Ong’ondo provided insight into KICD’s stringent evaluation process, which involves:
- Assembling panels of specialized educators
- Initial evaluation by these panels
- Review by verifiers from KICD and the Ministry of Education
- Recommendations to the KICD Council for approval
- Required corrections by publishers based on feedback
- Final check by KICD officers before approval stamp
Despite this thorough process, the problematic sentences escaped notice, an oversight KICD attributes to human error rather than intentional justification of rape.
Way Forward
To address the issue, KICD has initiated the following actions:
- Constituting a review panel to examine the book’s content within two weeks
- Issuing an advisory to the publisher on necessary revisions
- Informing schools on how to guide learners on the relevant topic
Prof. Ong’ondo emphasized,
“While modest and decent dressing is encouraged, particularly within schools, this should not be misconstrued as a justification for rape.”
