Printing firms have declined to produce Grade 10 textbooks over an unpaid debt of Sh11 billion for Grade 8 and 9 books supplied to the government since 2022, a standoff that now threatens to derail the rollout of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) as it transitions to Grade 10 next year.
According to a spokesperson for the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), operations within its printing sub-sector have been severely constrained by the government’s failure to settle the massive debt, leaving printers unable to sustain production.
The first cohort under the CBC is set to transition to Grade 10 –the entry level of senior secondary school– next year, and failure to produce the required textbooks could disrupt the smooth continuation of the new education system’s implementation.
“Due to non-payment by publishers, printers are unable to proceed with the production of Grade 10 textbooks, putting the implementation of the CBC curriculum at risk,” the spokesperson told this publication.
“The debt has strained the financial operations of printers and manufacturers, posing a significant risk to the continued rollout of the CBC curriculum especially for Grade 10 learners to transition to senior school in January 2026.”
The debt is owed to publishers, who are contracted by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to develop textbooks and supply them to schools.
Publishers, in turn, hire printers to produce the books, but only pay them once the government settles its own bills, which, according to KAM, happens only after the contracted quantities have been fully delivered.
KAM says publishers have not been paid for Grade 8 and 9 textbooks supplied since 2022, leaving them unable to pay printers. The unpaid bills have pushed printing firms into financial distress, forcing them to default on supplier credits and tax obligations.
Kenya’s textbook printing industry comprises 10 firms that jointly produce about 250 million books annually. Since 2019, they have printed more than 200 million textbooks for public schools under the CBC rollout.
The printers say that besides accruing supplier debt, they are also forced to borrow money to pay value-added tax, which is due by the 20th of every month, further straining their cash flow and raising their expenses.
KAM has urged the government to prioritise clearing the debt, issue letters of credit to publishers and printers to guarantee payment once contracts are fulfilled and fast-track the awarding of contracts given the lengthy production process.
“The textbook production process requires a minimum of 60 days for printing and an additional 30 days for distribution. Issuing contracts on short notice disrupts cash flow, forcing both publishers and printers to rely on costly credit facilities,” the KAM spokesperson said.
KICD declined to comment, saying it only contracts publishers on behalf of the Ministry of Education, which had not responded to inquiries by the time of going to press.
Last month, the Kenya Publishers Association faulted KICD for delaying the settlement of bills for already supplied books, which strained their relationship with service providers, including printers.
