KPA Chairman Musyoki Muli (in red tie) tours a book stand at Kinoru Stadium in Meru where a book trade fair is ongoing. (Photo by Dickson Mwiti)
BY DICKSON MWITI
The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) has appealed to the government to expedite the settlement of the outstanding Sh9.5billion to facilitate the printing and distribution of Grade 11 textbooks, an exercise projected to require an additional Sh4.5billion.
Speaking during the official opening ceremony of the Meru regional book fair, KPA Chairperson Musyoki Muli reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to supporting the Ministry of Education in delivering quality, accessible and timely learning materials to all Kenyan learners.
”A good partner in a noble role Ike education requires full support, and that is our cry today,” said Mr Muli.
Mr Muli added that the next major phase of textbook supply is scheduled between September and December 2026 and will focus on Grade 11 learners under senior school, and it’s a significant national undertaking involving 21 publishing firms collectively supplying 35 different textbooks to learners across the country.
To meet the January 2027 school opening deadline, he added, the publishers are expected to print and distribute approximately 7 million copies within a very tight timeline.
”Printing alone will require about 60 days, followed by an additional 30 days for nationwide distribution. The success of this exercise therefore depends heavily on timely preparation and adequate financial support,” said Mr Muli.
He added that the grand plans for Grade 11 roll out coul be hampered by the serious financial strain that the publishing industry is currently facing due to outstanding payments owed by the government for previously supplied textbooks.
”This situation has had far-reaching consequences across the entire book value chain, making it impossible for publishers to supply to supply books for Grade 11 because we rely on a host of stakeholders such as printers, distributors , authors and other service providers in the production chain.”
”Printers alone are owed close to Sh4billion and they owe banks as much for paper and print-related imports. The ripple effect has also extended to institutions such as Kenya Revenue Authority,” said Mr Muli.
As a result, he added, many publishing houses are operating under immense pressure, struggling to sustain daily operations while simultaneously preparing for large scale Grade 11 textbooks roll out.
He said the Grade 11 textbooks are ready, awaiting tenders for supply and that the publishers are ow working on Grade 12 till August this year .
” We work for the Kenyan child and our focus is quality and timely delivery,” said Mr Muli.
He assured that the Kenyan publishing industry continues to play a central role in supporting the Government’s education agenda, particularly in achieving and sustaining the one-textbook-to-learner ratio in public schools.
”This partnership between the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and the Kenya Publishers Association has, since 2018, enabled successful supply of more than 200 million textbooks to learners across the country,” said Mr Muli.
