Some 26 publishers have been awarded tenders to supply textbooks for Grade 11 learners in public schools as the government prepares for the transition of the first cohort of learners to the newest class under the competency-based education (CBE) in senior school in January 2027.
With the number of learners currently in Grade 10 being about one million, winning a tender for supply (especially for core subjects) comes with huge rewards as it guarantees bulk sales for the publisher.
The government has accumulated pending bills for books supplied but not paid for, which now stands at Sh7 billion. The current tender will only push the bill higher.
The list of the publishers who won tenders and respective titles shows the lucrative textbook market has been spread across established as well as emerging publishing houses. The assignments cover core subjects, specialised pathways and literature in English and fasihi ya Kiswahili set books.
The document does not, however, disclose the value of individual contracts, quantities to be supplied or the total procurement budget. Tendering for school textbooks has in the recent past resulted in price wars as publishers compete to outdo each other and bag the tenders.
Among the biggest beneficiaries is the state-owned Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB), which was awarded tenders to supply textbooks for 12 subjects and one literature title. Others include Mountain Top Publishers, which secured eight subjects and one literature title and East African Educational Publishers (EAEP), which was allocated four subjects and five literature titles.
On Tuesday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba launched the distribution of the textbooks at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
"I affirm the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that agreed timelines are observed and that implementation is supported with the necessary resources," Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said during the launch of the distribution of Grade 11 textbooks on Tuesday.
The KLB will supply textbooks for French, General Science, Music and Dance, Arabic, German, Computer Studies, Metal Work, Marine and Fisheries, Media Technology and Islamic Religious Education.
Kenya Publishers Association Chairman Musyoki Muli in Meru County on May 28, 2026.
Photo credit: David Muchui | Nation
The EAEP will supply textbooks for English, Essential Mathematics, Chemistry and Agriculture, as well as literature titles including The Parting Clouds and Voices from the Woods, an anthology of poems.
Mountain Top Publishers has secured titles in Business Studies, Christian Religious Education, Agriculture, Geography, Home Science, Wood Work and Sports and Recreation. It will also supply the Kiswahili play Jahazi la Mchongoma.
Booklyst has been allocated titles in Kiswahili, Core Mathematics, Home Science, Metal Work, Electricity, Theatre and Film, Sports and Recreation and Aviation.
Other publishers with significant allocations include Moran Publishers, which will supply books in English, Geography and Electricity, and Mentor Publishers, which has titles in Computer Studies, Physical Education and Kiswahili.
The list also names Oxford University Press East Africa (OUP) for History and Citizenship and two literature titles, Longhorn Publishers for Wood Work and Building Construction, Storymoja for Essential Mathematics and selected literature texts, and OnePlanet Publishers for Media Technology, French and prescribed literature.
Doritex has titles in ICT and Marine and Fisheries; Magic Papers in Power Mechanics; Frontrow in Fine Arts and Core Mathematics; Highland in Biology and Chemistry; while Hummingbird has titles in Music and Dance, History and Citizenship and Fine Arts.
Unlike the previous curriculum, senior school is organised around different pathways and subject combinations, creating demand for a broad range of learning materials, including technical and vocational subjects.
The approved list also gives prominence to literature, with publishers sharing titles covering novels, plays, biographies, autobiographies, poetry and oral literature.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) finalised evaluation and procurement of the Grade 11 textbooks, noting it is ready to have them distributed for use by learners from January 2027.
The distribution, which started on October 6, will continue until October 23 before taking a break during the national examinations season. It will then resume on weekdays until December 23, 2026.
“The distribution will continue after examinations during weekdays until December 23, 2026. Principals are urged to ensure that there will be staff present in schools to receive the books. The Institute wishes to caution teachers, parents, learners, education stakeholders, and the public that use of non-approved curriculum support materials in Kenyan schools is unlawful,” said KICD chief executive Prof Charles Ong’ondo.
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director and CEO Prof Charles Ochieng' Ong'ondo speaking during the launch of value-based Education programme in Nairobi on April 2, 2026.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
KICD chairman Simon Gicharu asked the Ministry of Education for enhanced, prompt and sufficient facilitation to the publishers to enable them to distribute the Grade 11 textbooks and subsequent ones without hitches.
"In the same breath, I also urge the Ministry of Education to supply the Institute with timely, complete and accurate data on the number of schools, number of learners and their subjects to avoid delays, oversupply and/or undersupply of textbooks," he said.
“We owed publishers Sh9 billion as of September 1, we paid Sh2 billion, leaving a balance of about Sh7 billion. During a meeting between publishers and Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa, some agreements were reached,” said Prof Ong’ondo.
Prof Ong’ondo said the PS promised to lobby for funds to clear the outstanding debt in instalments, an arrangement that publishers agreed to.
“They agreed that they would start distributing the textbooks. We have a plan where every week we distribute the books to different regions,” said the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development chief executive officer.
Kenya Publishers Association chairman Musyoki Muli confirmed to the Nation that publishers had received the partial payment.
“Publishers were partly paid Sh2 billion a month ago. About Sh7 billion is still pending, but the government made commitments. It will not affect distribution because publishers invest ahead. For Grade 11, we are not owed. Our concern is that the State owes us for past deliveries, which affects our operations,” said Mr Muli.
He said the outstanding Sh7 billion relates to textbooks supplied for Junior School, primary school and Grade 10.
