“It was our first time to supply textbooks to secondary schools and the mistakes made will not be repeated,” said the CEO. Booksellers Association of Kenya National Vice Chairman Patrick Matindi said it was worrying that so many schools received extra books. “It beats logic why a school with only 100 students received a delivery of 180 textbooks. This is a total waste of money,” said Mr Matindi.
Nakuru town
At St Mary’s Girls Primary School in Nakuru town, there was an under-supply of books for pupils in Standard Three, Seven and Eight. Form One students at Elburgon Secondary School received 176 textbooks for mathematics, English, Kiswahili, physics, chemistry and biology, with Form Two students receiving 150 books. Most schools in Kakamega County said they received less textbooks than required. A headteacher of a primary school in Lurambi sub-county said his school received only half the number of books ordered. “In Standard Seven, we have 121 pupils and we were given 80 books only for all the five subjects,” he said.
A head teacher from Malava sub-county said they placed an order for 183 books for Standard Eight pupils for all the subjects and received only 60 when they were closing for the August holidays. But many secondary schools in the county received the required number of books. Andrew Wanjala, the acting principal of Chebuyusi High School in Navakholo constituency, said they received sufficient textbooks for forms Two, Three and Four. Cosmas Nabungolo, the St Mary’s Boys High School – Mumias principal, said they received the textbooks ordered when the school was closing in August. A primary school head teacher in Nambale, Busia County, said he had 180 candidates and requested the same number of books at the beginning of second term but only 155 books were delivered.
Courtesy of The Standard
