Include real-life narratives and works in English and literature school programs

In the past, nonfiction works such as essays, journals, diaries, letters, biographies, speeches, satires, and literary criticism were a significant part of the English curriculum in Kenya. However, this is no longer the case as the current curriculum primarily focuses on fictional works.

Dr. Joseph Walunywa, an advocate for educational reform, argued for the inclusion of named nonfiction works in the Kenyan educational curriculum as early as the 2000s. Walunywa, who had his undergraduate and post-graduate education in the USA, believed that studying nonfiction works as literature would expose students to the finest examples of speeches, letters, reports, and other nonfiction genres as pieces of art, rather than just language mechanics.

Fiction, on the other hand, is a type of literature that is fabricated and based on the author's imagination. Examples of fiction include short stories, novels, plays, poetry, myths, legends, and fairy tales. Dominant in fiction are plot, settings, and characters. These are the storyline, the time, place, and socioeconomic environment in which a story occurs and the imaginary people who take part in the imagined actions.

In contrast, nonfiction is a type of literature that is factual and reports on true events. Examples of nonfiction works include essays, journals, diaries, letters, histories, biographies, speeches, satires, and literary criticism. The defining element of nonfiction works is that they are based on real events and experiences.

Some teachers argue that functional writing in the English syllabus takes care of the educational value of nonfiction works. However, this is not satisfactory as it lacks a focus on artistic values. The lack of nonfiction works in the curriculum limits students' exposure to the cultural heritage these genres represent.

It is worth noting that the English curriculum in the past, under the colonial system of education, was richer than what is currently offered, including nonfiction works. Other educational systems provide ample room for the study of nonfiction works in their English or language curriculum.

In the 1970s to the 1990s, the author had personal experience using nonfiction works in their education. The absence of these works in the current curriculum is a gap that needs to be addressed to provide a more balanced and comprehensive education. Dr. Walunywa's views on the inclusion of nonfiction works in the curriculum were not heard at the time, but they remain relevant today.