The topic of Mandarin language instruction is extremely sensitive in Kenya even during good times, so you can imagine the reaction that Education Chief Secretary George Magoha received this weekend when he hinted that Chinese language education would be included in the country’s national curriculum known as the competency-based curriculum (CBC Programme).

“My kids are not going to learn Chinese even if you make it compulsory. There is no way they can study Chinese when they are not even learning their mother tongue,” said one seemingly distressed parent on Twitter in response to Mahoga’s program.