NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has directed all public senior school principals to submit updated Grade 10 enrolment figures to guide a second phase of textbook distribution under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
In a notice issued April 7, KICD said the first phase of Grade 10 textbook distribution had been completed using data initially provided by the Ministry of Education, but acknowledged gaps that left some schools with excess books while others received none.
“The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development informs all Senior School Principals that the first phase of the distribution of Grade 10 textbooks has been completed, guided by the data initially provided by the Ministry of Education,” the institute said.
KICD attributed the mismatch to enrolment figures that did not accurately reflect actual student numbers and subject combinations at the school level.
Under the directive, principals must submit the current number of Grade 10 learners per subject and the total number of textbooks received in the first phase.
The institute said the exercise aims to achieve the government’s one-to-one textbook policy, where every learner is allocated a book for each subject.
“This will inform the second phase of distribution of Grade 10 textbooks to ensure that all learners have received textbooks in all subjects on a One-to-One ratio as per Government Policy,” KICD stated.
Officials noted that under the Competency-Based Curriculum, senior school students select different subject combinations, making accurate per-subject enrolment data critical for equitable allocation.
Principals whose schools did not receive books, or those holding more textbooks than enrolled learners, have been instructed to flag the discrepancies before the April 10 deadline.
KICD Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong’ondo Ochieng said the data will also guide future textbook distribution for the same cohort when they transition to Grades 11 and 12.
The directive comes after Grade 10 learners completed their first term amid reported textbook shortages. Ochieng attributed the confusion to schools and students changing subject choices without updating enrolment records, leading to inconsistencies in distribution figures.
