Why it would be wrong for State to go back to issuing textbooks

Before the 2003 curriculum review in Kenya, you could count the number of serious publishers in Kenya on the fingers of one hand. Back then, the publishers used to keep skeletal editorial staff whose work was to coordinate mainly outsourced services. They had no in-house proofreaders, artists, editorial assistants and other such employees. Their publications were few and far between. Writers were forever crying that it took inordinately long to hear from them after submitting a manuscript.

Then come 2003 up to 2005, when the syllabi for primary and secondary education were reviewed and the industry was abuzz with activity. In the rush to beat Kenya Institute of Education (now renamed Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development) new script submission deadlines, there was need to hire more staff. This created lots of jobs.