The Position of the Formal Essay in Kiswahili Literature in Kenya

This paper focuses on the position of the formal essay vis-a-vis other literary genres from the perspective of genre hierarchy. In order to get a clear picture of any literary genre it is advantageous and practical to conduct such a survey in institutions of learning because this is where there will be a concentration of consumers of reading materials. In Kenya the organization that decides the materials that will be consumed in Educational Institutions is called Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. Decisions made by K.I.C.D. in regards to selection of texts that are used in institutions of learning has a serious ramification in terms of encouraging writing in the said genres or even competence in the same since learners cannot in the first place understand what they have not been exposed to. K.I.C.D. has a broad mandate to oversight curriculum at the level of Pre-School, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Technical Institutions. In regard to curriculum issues universities both public and private have their own mechanisms which are over sighted by the Commission for Higher Education. This paper posits that the Kiswahili Formal Essay should also be included in the curriculum at the secondary school level so as to expose learners to more diverse expressions from writers who have chosen to do so in a genre that has not been popularised by the regulating authorities. The Formal Essay in Kiswahili Language that has not had the advantage of being an examinable literary type in the Kenyan system. From the foregoing explanation this is what has led this genre to be less conspicuous than the other genres such as the novel. the play, the short story and poetry. The decision on what genres or texts will be used in the school curriculum has far reaching effects as we shall see in the discussion on this paper.