Calls for transparency in Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature amid low publisher participation

In an opinion article published on October 13, 2026, Ndago, who was shortlisted for the prize, questioned why only nine manuscripts were submitted this year. He argued that the low number raised concerns about publishers' confidence in the award. He congratulated this year's winner, Ken Kamoche, and fellow shortlisted author Charles Chanchori, and acknowledged the importance of the prize, established in 1974, in promoting Kenyan literature. He also credited Text Book Centre (TBC) for continuing to support it despite limited backing from the government ministries responsible for education and culture.

According to Ndago, five of the nine manuscripts came from a single publisher, leaving only four publishers in the competition. He contrasted this with the Kenya Publishers Association's membership of 140 publishers, putting participation at about three per cent. He also noted that the judges awarded only the English Adult Category because of insufficient entries in other categories, which he described as a warning sign.(Education News Kenya — https://educationnews.co.ke/news/calls-for-transparency-in-jomo-kenyatta-prize-for-literature-amid-low-publisher-participation)

Ndago criticised the judges' emphasis on poor editing and book presentation at the awards ceremony, arguing that while editing is important, the prize should primarily recognise literary merit. He said authors, publishers and readers needed a clear explanation of why the winning book was judged superior to the other shortlisted entries.

He also faulted the Kenya Publishers Association for not announcing the runners-up as indicated in an earlier media brief, saying such inconsistencies could deepen doubts about the award's administration.

He called for a formal judging framework, publicly explained selection criteria and a written report on how the judges reached their decisions. He also urged greater transparency in the appointment of judges and the declaration of potential conflicts of interest, warning that perceived relationships between judges and competing authors could damage the prize's reputation.

To show how literary awards can strengthen their credibility, Ndago cited competitions in Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and India, which he said use structured judging systems and defined selection procedures. Some offer substantially higher prize money, he noted, though he maintained that money alone could not explain the low participation in Kenya.

According to Ndago, the Jomo Kenyatta Prize awards the winner Sh150,000, while publishers pay an entry fee of Sh10,000 per title if they are members of the Kenya Publishers Association and Sh20,000 if they are not. He argued that the prize's prestige should encourage publishers to take part, and that the government should play a greater role in supporting the literary sector rather than leaving it largely to private players.

He urged the organisers to strengthen the award's governance and open up its decision-making, warning that continued uncertainty could discourage publishers from submitting books in future. He said a credible national literary prize required a competitive field, transparent procedures and public confidence in the fairness of its decisions.