Publishers in Kenya are calling for an extension of the compliance period proposed in the Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025, arguing that the 14‑day deadline for submitting copies of publications is too short and impractical for the sector.
The appeal was made during deliberations convened by the National Assembly Committee on Broadcasting and Library, chaired by MP Daniel Nanok. The session brought together key stakeholders, including the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) and the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), in line with Article 118(1)(b) of the Constitution, which requires Parliament to facilitate public participation in law‑making.
Musyoki Muli, who represented KPA, urged lawmakers to consider establishing a central repository to ease the burden of distributing multiple copies to different institutions. He stressed that the proposed timeline was unrealistic, particularly for smaller publishers facing challenges in production, quality control, and distribution. “Fourteen days is the shortest time given. We wish to be given at least one month or even more,” Muli said.
The Bill seeks to amend Section 6 of the Books and Newspapers Act, Cap 111, requiring publishers to deliver up to three copies of every book printed or published in Kenya to the Clerk of the Senate, in addition to existing recipients such as the Registrar of Books and Newspapers, the Kenya National Library Service, and the Kenya National Archives. It also introduces mandatory submission of digital copies to the same institutions.
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Publishers would be required to deliver up to three copies of each book to Parliament at the time of publication or within one month if requested in writing by the Clerk of the Senate or the Registrar. Deposited books would either be retained for record‑keeping or distributed to other institutions as directed by the Cabinet Secretary for Education.
Further amendments include replacing outdated colonial references with “Kenya” in Sections 14 and 17, and expanding mandatory legal deposits to Parliament to strengthen its library as a national knowledge centre.
The proposal mirrors practices in countries such as South Korea, Indonesia, and South Africa, where legislative libraries serve as repositories of national knowledge.
Publishers would be required to submit copies at their own expense, with penalties for non‑compliance including fines of up to Sh1 million, imprisonment of up to three years (five for repeat offenders), or both. Offenders could also face bans on future publishing.
MPs directed the publishers’ lobby to submit specific reservations on the Bill’s clauses. Muli requested more time to prepare a comprehensive memorandum addressing the amendments, noting the need for a law that balances cultural preservation with the sustainability of Kenya’s publishing industry.
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The legislation will undergo further committee scrutiny, incorporating stakeholder feedback, before advancing to a second reading in Parliament. At that stage, MPs will debate timelines, sanctions, and other provisions.
Publishers emphasised that while cultural preservation and knowledge archiving are vital, the law must also ensure the publishing sector remains viable and able to serve Kenya’s education system effectively.
By Masaki Enock
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