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Publishers demand payment of Sh9.5 billion owed by State
Representatives of Longhorn Publishers sell textbooks at the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) Conference in Mombasa on November 10, 2023.
Publishers have warned that Grade 11 learners may not receive textbooks in time next year over mounting government debt that now stands at Sh9.5 billion.
According to Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) chairperson Musyoki Muli, 21 publishing firms are expected to print and distribute seven million copies of Grade 11 textbooks and literary set books by the end of the year.
However, Mr Muli, who spoke on Friday during the ongoing Meru Regional Book Fair, said the process is being hampered by the government's continued delay in paying pending bills from previous supplies.
“To meet the January 2027 school opening deadline, we as publishers are expected to print and distribute approximately seven million copies within a very tight timeline. Printing alone will require about 60 days, followed by an additional 30 days for nationwide distribution.
These grand plans for Grade 11 roll out could be hampered by outstanding payments owed by the government for previously supplied textbooks,” Mr Muli said.
The KPA chairman said the government owes Sh6.2 billion for primary school books, Sh2.5 billion for secondary and senior school materials and Sh780 million for Junior Secondary School since the 2024/2025 financial year.
In March, the Ministry of Education had indicated that it owed publishers Sh7.7 billion after paying off Sh5.6 billion early in the year.
There was a standoff between publishers and the ministry late last year, with firms refusing to print Grade 10 books days before the senior school rollout.
Mr Muli said that due to the huge pending bills owed to publishers, printers are yet to be paid close to Sh4 billion.
“This situation has far-reaching consequences across the entire book value chain. It means printers, distributors, authors and other service providers are languishing in financial difficulties as they are not paid for work done. Many publishing houses are operating under immense pressure, struggling to sustain daily operations,” the KPA chairman said.
He appealed to the government to pay the outstanding amount before the end of the current financial year.
Mr Muli noted that publishers have supplied more than 200 million textbooks since 2018.
The association has also called on County governments to allocate more funds towards Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) learning materials and the equipping of libraries.
The association donated books worth Sh18 million to libraries in Meru County.
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