Parents shop books for their children. [Photo/standard.co.ke]
The academic calendar for the year 2018 began on Tuesday with students getting back to schools.
However, booksellers in Kisii Town were left with no reason to smile as they complained of reduced book sales.
A walk through bookshops, it seemed as if the back to school rush hour had not yet started as many booksellers were deserted with parents who always buy books for their children in abundance.
“Ever since the government said that it is going to directly supply books to schools without involving us (booksellers), parents have decided not to buy any book because they do not know which book to buy,” a book seller in Kisii Town said.
In addition, the booksellers said that the government should allow a variety of books so as to help the students preparing for the exam to revise well.
“I know the government is going to supply only one type of book. A single book cannot help a student, let us have a variety of books so as to improve the levels of our childrens' education,” she added.
The government through the Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, last year said that beginning first term 2018, books will be directly supplied to learning institutions without involving intermediaries.