Grade 10 textbook printing 93.89% complete, ministry says amid distribution push

The Ministry of Education says it has distributed more than 8.35 million Grade 10 textbooks to public senior schools across the country to support learning under the Competency-Based Education (CBE).
In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry said it had supplied 8,355,780 textbooks, representing over 70 per cent of the 11,867,325 books earmarked for distribution. It added that the remaining consignment will be delivered by the end of February 2026.

The update comes amid growing concern from some schools that Grade 10 learners — particularly those pursuing the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pathway — are facing textbook shortages, less than two weeks to the mid-term break.

The ministry said the nationwide distribution exercise, which was launched in January 2026 by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, is ongoing in several counties.

According to the ministry, as of February 13, Nairobi County had recorded the highest distribution at 86.71 per cent, followed by the Central Kenya region at 80.18 per cent.

The Western region (Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia) stood at 79.77 per cent, Nyanza at 75.40 per cent, and Rift Valley at 67.46 per cent.

The ministry said Eastern region had achieved 64.94 per cent, Coast 60.25 per cent, while North Eastern was at 48.57 per cent.

The ministry noted that textbook printing is 93.89 per cent complete, adding that distribution is being done through 21 contracted Kenyan publishers, including the Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB), Oxford University Press East Africa, East African Educational Publishers (EAEP), Longhorn Publishers and Storymoja.

The ministry said it expects the remaining books to reach schools by the end of the month to ensure seamless learning for the pioneer Grade 10 class.