Parents buying books from a bookshop. The government has embarked on plans to supply books directly to schools. [Photo/nation.co.ke]
Booksellers in Nakuru County now wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and suspend the move by the Ministry of Education to distribute books directly to schools.
Led by the former national chairman of the Kenya Booksellers and Stationers Association, John Mbugua, the traders said they have massive stocks in their shops which they have planned to sell this month.
If the ministry does not suspend its decision, Mbugua said, their businesses will collapse as they stand to lose Sh2 billion, which will be big blow to the economy.
"We acquired these reading and writing materials through bank loans and heavy overdraft, hoping that come January we shall have a ready market for our goods, and that is why we are appealing to President Kenyatta to intervene," he said, speaking to the Nation on Tuesday.
Mbugua said that besides the booksellers losing huge chunks of money, thousands of workers would be rendered jobless.
"The directive is a recipe for chaos and will result in the death of the sub-sector that employs more than 10,000 Kenyans," he noted.
The Education ministry, under Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, has maintained it won't relent in its efforts to curb corruption and end book cartels in the country.
Mbugua said they were not opposed to the plans, adding rogue booksellers should face the full force of the law.
"Majority of our members engage in clean business deals and should not be punished because of the wrongs of a few corrupt people," Mbugua said.
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