GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION IN KENYA
By Dr. Francis Mwaura, PhD
Snr. Lecturer, Department of Geography
& Environmental Studies
Hyslop Bld (3rd Floor) Office 307
P. O. Box 30197-00100
University Way
Nairobi-KENYA
Phone: (+254-020) 318262 Ext. 28016 or
28182 (Office) or [+254] 0722-906460 (Mobile)
Fax: [+254-020] 245566
E-mail: [email protected] & [email protected]
Geography Education in Kenya is undertaken both at Primary School level which takes eight years and
Secondary School level which takes four years. Currently Geography is taught as a compulsory subject
from Standard One to Standard Eight eight as part of Social Studies. Previously it was taught as cluster
consisting of Geography, History and Civics (G.H.C). In the Secondary School level, Geography is taught
as a standalone subject which is compulsory for Form One and Two. In Form Three and Four it is taught as
an optional subject to the students who select it under the Humanities cluster which also includes Christian
Religious Education (C.R.E), History and Government. In both Primary and Secondary levels Geography
Education curriculum entails field-work, map work, photography and statistical methods which are
introduced early in the course and their application progresses across the levels.
The school examination framework for Geography Education in Kenya is different at Primary School and
Secondary School levels. At primary level, the pupils are examined through tests in form of multiple choice
questions comprising four choices per question where the pupils are required to choose the correct answer.
In secondary level, the examination consists of two papers, namely, Geography Paper One and Geography
Paper Two. Paper One comprises of brief answer questions on topics in Physical Geography (e.g. weather
and climate, rivers, weathering and mass wasting) and Practical Geography (map work and photography).
Paper Two comprises examination questions on Human and Economic Geography topics (e.g. agriculture,
mining, tourism and environmental conservation). The paper two questions are usually open-ended and
learners are required to use diagrams and sketch maps wherever they serve to illustrate their answers.
Nyamathi Primary School, Naivasha Kenya
Precious Blood Secondary School Riruta, Nairobi, Kenya