Kenyans are poor readers and risk being left behind because of the many socio-economic strains they encounter on a daily.
This is according to a book publishing expert based in Nakuru and a member of a continental publishing and literacy network organisation, Zachary Musembi.
“There is little time for reading and money for purchasing reading materials. People are busy working day and night to put food on the table and have no time to read. It is a sad situation because at the end of the day, it will become a disease of development,” observed Musila.
Musembi, the managing director of Focal Book Publishers and a regional member of the African Publishers Network (APNET) who spoke during a public lecture to students of Library and Information Sciences of Nakuru Town Campus of Egerton University observed that poverty among many Kenyans was the bane of the poor reading culture.
He argued that many Kenyans are busy struggling to make ends meet and have little time and resources set aside for both recreational and professional reading. He observed that majority of Kenyans treat reading as a waste of time and regard reading materials as luxuries but not basic needs.
He said APNET –Kenya was organising a programme to promote a reading culture awareness at the grassroots levels in the country by establishing community based libraries where local publishers would be asked to deposit some of their publications to support the programme.