By Erestinah Jane | June 30, 2026
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has directed schools across the country to stop using unauthorized textbooks and curriculum support materials, warning that the government will take firm action against institutions and publishers found violating approved learning standards.
The directive, issued on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, is part of the Ministry of Education’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the quality and integrity of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) by ensuring that only learning materials approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) are used in schools.
Kipsang instructed school principals, headteachers and quality assurance officers from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to immediately report any publishers, distributors or vendors marketing unauthorized textbooks, revision materials or supplementary learning resources to schools.
He emphasized that school administrators have a responsibility to ensure that learners access quality instructional materials that comply with the national curriculum and meet established educational standards.
The Principal Secretary reminded schools that all teaching and learning materials must be selected from the Ministry of Education’s Official Orange Book, the annual catalogue of textbooks and instructional resources evaluated and approved by KICD for use in Kenyan schools.
The Orange Book serves as the government’s official guide for the procurement of textbooks, teachers’ guides and other curriculum support materials, ensuring that schools purchase resources that align with CBC learning outcomes and competency requirements.
According to the ministry, the circulation of unauthorized learning materials has raised concerns over content quality, curriculum alignment and the potential confusion they create for learners and teachers.
Some unapproved publications, officials say, contain inaccurate information, fail to align with CBC objectives or are produced without undergoing KICD’s rigorous evaluation
