Schools now know which books they can use for Grade 11. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) published its list of approved textbooks and literary texts on October 6, a few months before the class moves to senior school in 2027.
KICD, the agency under the Ministry of Education that vets curriculum materials under the KICD Act of 2013, warned that the approved list is the only one that counts. Anyone caught using unapproved books, it said, will face the law.
The institute also opened a line for schools that run into trouble with the government-supplied books. Any school that still has no textbooks by mid-January 2027, or that receives more copies than its enrolment needs, should get in touch. Queries can go to bookdistribution@kicd.ac.ke or 0733 762 412.
What’s on the list
The October 2026 publication groups titles by the three senior school pathways: Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, and STEM.
Arts and Sports Science: This covers Music and Dance, Theatre and Film, Fine Arts, Sports and Recreation, and Physical Education. Music and Dance approvals include titles from Moran, KLB, Hummingbird, and Booklyst.
Theatre and Film has just two approved learners’ books, among them Booklyst’s Master Theatre and Film and KLB’s Excelling Theatre and Film. Fine Arts, Sports and Recreation, and Physical Education have four titles each.
Languages and literature: English and Kiswahili each have 10 approved learners’ books. The English list draws on publishers such as KLB, Oxford University Press, Moran, Longhorn, EAEP and Mentor. Kiswahili titles include Mbiu ya Kiswahili, Moran Kiswahili Chanana and Kiswahili Fasaha.
Literature in English includes both reference material and set texts, among them The Master Builder, The Bride, The Forest No Longer Cries, The Crucial Interview, A Cowrie of Hope, Rays in the Raindrops and the Senior School Poetry Companion.
Kiswahili set texts include Kasri la Faraja, Nyuma ya Pazia, Kivuli Kilichopinda, Sauti ya Kimya, Si Shwari, Ahadi ya Neema, Wema Waliobaki, Mwisho wa Dhiki, Binti ya Waziri and Kauli la Mwisho.
STEM: The pathway spans Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Technical Studies.
Pure Sciences: Core Mathematics has seven approved books and Essential Mathematics 10. Biology has 12, and Chemistry has 11. Physics books come from Spotlight, Moran, Mentor, Distinction, Newton Educational Resources, Nsemia, Booklyst, and KLB. General Science is also covered.
Applied Sciences: Agriculture has nine approved titles, and ICT has seven. Computer Studies and Home Science are also on the list.
Technical Studies: Aviation, Building Construction, Electricity, Metal Work, Power Mechanics, Woodwork, Media Technology, and Marine and Fisheries. Building Construction and Woodwork have five books each, Metal Work four, and Electricity and Power Mechanics three. Media Technology and Marine and Fisheries have two each. The Media Technology books are from KLB and One Planet, and the Marine and Fisheries titles are from Doritex and KLB.
Read Also: List Of All Government Approved Books For Junior Secondary Schools