Neglected Narratives: Underrepresentation of Indigenous and Minority Voices in Drama Education in Kenya

Abstract

Drama education in Kenya, situated within the broader postcolonial context, has gained prominence through curriculum reforms such as the competency-based curriculum, which prioritises learner-centred, creative pedagogies aimed at fostering critical thinking, cultural awareness, and social justice engagement. Despite this, indigenous and minority voices remain persistently underrepresented in secondary school drama syllabi, teaching materials, and performances. Anchored in postcolonial theory, particularly Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s concept of epistemic decolonisation, this study investigated how curricular content, teacher training, and institutional biases privilege Eurocentric and elite African narratives while marginalising oral, vernacular and community-rooted performance traditions. The study employed a qualitative approach. For data, it analysed drama curricula, set texts, and festival performance practices, complemented by interviews with purposively sampled teachers of drama in Kenya. Findings revealed a dominant curricular bias towards Western canonical texts, significant teacher training deficits in indigenous dramaturgy, scarcity of published indigenous scripts and culturally tailored teaching resources, and festival adjudication criteria favouring polished theatricality over cultural authenticity. These systemic exclusions hinder student identity affirmation, cultural legacy, and the transformative potential of drama education. The study recommends curricular revision to incorporate diverse cultural narratives, comprehensive decolonial teacher training and support for indigenous playwriting and theatrical adaptations