Sexuality in Kenya: A Media Framing and Content Analysis of The Nation and The Standard Newspapers

Abstract

The 2014 and 2019 reproductive healthcare bills tabled in the Kenyan parliament were withdrawn amid tensions involving the state, cultural values, and religious ideologies, whose norms regarding sexuality shaped the national debate. Public discourse framed these bills as contradictory to human dignity, highlighting broader contestations surrounding adolescent sexuality in Kenya. This research study sought to examine how text and society are mediated through news coverage. Drawing on framing theory, the analysis investigates how journalists select, emphasise, and shape information in ways that influence audience interpretation, while agenda-setting theory explains how the frequency and prominence of issues in media reporting guide public perceptions. Using qualitative content analysis of The Nation and The Standard newspapers, the study examined how messages about comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) were constructed and communicated. Findings reveal that coverage of contraception and abortion is strongly influenced by religious, cultural, and state sentiments, which remain significant barriers to implementing CSE. Both newspapers suggested that effective interventions, particularly CSE, could reduce adolescent pregnancies. The study recommends that Kenya’s Ministry of Education integrate CSE as a mandatory component of the national curriculum and provide guidance for parents and teachers on engaging young people in informed discussions about gender and sexuality.