Pupils admiring textbooks during the Nakuru regional book fair in Nakuru city on June 2, 2022. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]
90pc of Grade 10 textbooks distributed, PS Bitok says
Education
By
Okumu Modachi
| Feb 14, 2026
The Ministry of Education has said 90 per cent of Grade 10 textbooks have been distributed to schools across the country, even as concerns persist from some school heads who insist they are yet to receive adequate supplies.
Education Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok on Saturday said publishers were paid Sh5.6 billion last month and have since been dispatching books to institutions across the country.
“The status of textbooks in the country is that for the last month, publishers have been paid their Sh5.6 billion and they have continued distributing textbooks around the country,” said Prof Bitok.
“Right now, we have done 90 per cent of the schools, and the process is going on,” he added.
The distribution of Grade 10 textbooks has, in recent weeks, sparked debate, with several school administrators raising alarm over delays and shortages.
Some school heads who have spoken to The Sunday Standard argued that despite official assurances, their institutions have either received incomplete consignments or none at all.
This, they have decried, puts in jeopardy the rollout of the new Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum at the senior secondary school level.
The Ministry, however, maintains that the bulk of deliveries have been made through a system managed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
Prof Bitok acknowledged that "a few areas" were yet to receive the full complement of books but insisted the process was nearing completion.
“The system has been activated. There are a few areas which have not received all the books they need, but I want to confirm that schools have received their textbooks around the country.”
The PS spoke on Friday at Ngara Girls High School during a Valentine’s Day event organised by the school’s alumni association. Prof Bitok and his colleagues, Regina Ombam (Trade) and Jane Imbunya (Public Service), joined students to celebrate and encourage them.
The officials emphasised the role of care and emotional support in shaping responsible citizens.
"We believe that it is important that we express love, we show love to our students,” he said.
He noted that while the government continues to invest in infrastructure, classrooms and textbooks, education must also address learners’ emotional well-being.
“Education is not only about the hard issues; even the soft issues, modelling responsible citizens requires some affection, some love,” he said, urging teachers, parents and stakeholders across the country to use occasions such as Valentine’s Day to affirm and mentor learners.
“We have come here to show love and to demonstrate that in the education sector, we care for our young learners — we care about how they feel, what they think.”
PS Ombam, who is also the president of the association, said the initiative was part of giving back to the institution that shaped her.
“In terms of giving back, I thought this was another opportunity for me to come back to my community, sit with my sisters, enjoy and actually show them that love is real.”
She encouraged the students to value love as a foundational principle in leadership and nation-building.
“The greatest gift that God has given us is love, and when we show love to ourselves and to those around us, it goes a long way to actually make our nation a united nation,” she said.
Ombam's Human Capital Development counterpart, Imbunya, also challenged the girls to aim high and break barriers.
"Your background can only dictate where you start, but never determine your future. Let challenges not bully the future ahead of you," she told the learners. "Work hard."
The institution's Principal, Beatrice Ndiga, said the students had gained a lot from the visit.
“The students are really motivated. They’ve been advised to be determined to get what they want to go for.”
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