KICD Dismisses Claims Of Textbook Crisis

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has assured Kenyans that there will be no textbook shortages in 2025, dismissing claims of a looming crisis.

In a statement, KICD confirmed that learning materials for all grades, from Pre-Primary 1 (PP1) to Grade 9, are already in schools or accessible on the market.

The government acknowledged minor delays in textbooks for rationalised subjects in Grade 7 and Grade 8, including Agriculture, Creative Arts & Sports, and Pre-Technical Studies. However, it assured the public that updated materials, revised in December 2024, would be distributed to schools and made available in the market by February 2025.

“The interim textbooks produced earlier remain sufficient and comprehensively cover all strands in the rationalised learning areas,” KICD stated.

Examples cited include books on Physical Education, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts under Creative Arts & Sports, as well as Agriculture and Home Science for Agriculture studies.

The delays stem from the rationalisation process that followed the release of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) report in August 2023. This process, which involved updating curriculum designs, was completed in December 2024, paving the way for publishers to update and print the corresponding textbooks.

KICD emphasized that learning materials for other levels, including PP1 to Grade 3, Upper Primary, and Grade 9, had already been rationalised and are readily available.

“There is no textbook crisis now or in 2025,” the institute reiterated, urging stakeholders to remain confident in its ability to deliver quality resources for learners.