The illustrations, including that of a helicopter on a newly published schoolbook, have been condemned as inappropriate.
However, the association, led by its chair Lawrence Njagi, defended some of the illustrations as proper for early primary school children while disowning others, which he said were published in other countries.
Mr Njagi claimed the content is proper for children, saying adults are interpreting it in the wrong way and thus distorting the intended meaning.
The Kenya Publishers Association on Thursday came out to defend itself against public criticism over controversial illustrations on a primary school textbook.
The illustrations, including that of a helicopter on a newly published schoolbook, have been condemned as inappropriate.
However, the association, led by its chair Lawrence Njagi, defended some of the illustrations as proper for early primary school children while disowning others, which he said were published in other countries.
At a press briefing in Nairobi, Mr Njagi particularly defended the illustration of a flying helicopter, belonging to an MP, in the textbook for lower primary school.
The drawing has drawn condemnation from the public with claims that it idolises politicians and their flashy lifestyle.
The page in that book reads: “Teachers and learners are cheering. I saw a helicopter. It was flying low. It was flying just above the trees. ‘Our leader! Our leader!’ we shouted. It was our Member of Parliament. He travels in a plane. It belongs to him. The helicopter landed in our school playground. Three big cars arrived in our compound. They too belonged to him. He came out and greeted us. His wife waved at us. She had golden rings in her hand. He told us if we do well he will give us a treat. He will lift us up the skies. I will try my best.”
Wrong interpretation
In response to the complaints by Kenyans, Mr Njagi claimed the content is proper for children, saying adults are interpreting it in the wrong way and thus distorting the intended meaning.
“There is nothing factually wrong with that passage, the passage should be looked at in the eyes of the child not in the eyes of the politician or us the grown-ups,” he said.
The association chairman said the media blew the passage out of proportion based on perception, rather that the facts.
But he disowned two books that have also been condemned for misleading children, one teaching them that the head is used to carry loads and another showing obscene content, claiming they from Ghana and the US.
“Saying we use our heads to carry loads, I completely concur that that is an unthinkable explanation of the use of an average African head. Our heads are not for carrying loads, we have a lot of uses for our heads. This is not a Kenyan textbook and is not used in our curriculum.
"This particular text book comes from Ghana in West Africa. It has nothing to do with our curriculum or publishing houses,” Mr Njagi stated.
He said another one that shows obscene act is a book from the US, saying, “we cannot control as Kenyan publishers what people bring from outside the country, it is the responsibility of every parent to ensure that only approved books are used.”
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