Publishers contracted to produce the Grade 11 textbooks report that they have not begun printing because the government still owes them for previously supplied books, a situation that threatens to leave thousands of learners without the required texts when classes commence.
The payment dispute stems from an accumulated debt exceeding Ksh7 billion, despite the Ministry of Education releasing Ksh5.64 billion in January 2026 – only about half of the Ksh11.4 billion owed for earlier textbook printing and distribution contracts.
The current delay mirrors the shortages experienced during the Grade 10 rollout, when inaccurate enrolment data and delayed financing led to mismatched supplies, with some schools receiving far more books than needed and others receiving none.
KICD, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, acknowledged that its first distribution phase relied on enrolment figures supplied by the Ministry of Education, but subsequent learner transfers and subject‑selection changes rendered those figures obsolete. By April, KICD had urged schools to submit
Parliamentary hearings in September highlighted the unevenness of the distribution system: Asumbi Girls High School recorded 20,800 textbooks in its store while only 15,476 had been issued to learners, and Kisii School reported an excess of 268 books after auditors counted 5,324 supplied against 5,056 issued.
The shortage directly impacts classrooms. In Nairobi, a class of 50 students was reported to have access to just nine textbooks, forcing pupils to share copies in groups. Teachers are compelled to improvise lessons, and parents in low‑income households may be forced to purchase books that the government programme was intended to provide.
KICD has indicated that Grade 11 books were slated for distribution from September, but publishers warn that printing and packaging will take additional time, putting the timetable under renewed pressure. Officials acknowledge that achieving the policy goal of a one‑to‑one learner‑to‑textbook ratio requires stronger forecasting, reliable financing, accurate enrolment data and tighter coordination among the Ministry, KICD, schools and publishers.