The Ministry of Education (MoE) has clarified that sex education will not be introduced as a separate subject, but instead will be integrated across various subjects in the course of the national curriculum.
Appearing yesterday before the National Assembly Committee on Implementation chaired by Mandera South Member of Parliament, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba said the ministry had opted for an age-appropriate framework that gradually introduces learners to sexuality topics based on their developmental stage as they progress through school.
“It would not be possible to implement sex education as a single core subject running from Grade One to Grade Twelve,” Ogamba told the committee.
The clarification follows a motion tabled by Kirinyaga Woman Representative Jane Maina, who had proposed the inclusion of health, wellness, and sex education as a standalone subject.
Maina argued that comprehensive sex education would help reduce teen pregnancies, curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, promote informed decision making, and promote healthy sexual behaviour among adolescents.
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The ministry opted for a blended model. As opponents of the motion had warned that standalone sex education could promote “Western” ideologies that conflict with African values.
However, the ministry said that this approach respects cultural sensitivities while addressing the realities facing young people.
Ogamba said the ministry, through the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), has developed content matrices that integrate sexual education within existing subjects, supported by life skills and value-based learning.
The resolution was officially adopted on August 18, 2023, and is now being implemented across all grade levels.
By Masaki Enock
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