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Leading book publishers have asked the government to heighten crackdown on illegal booksellers who have flooded the market with fake books ahead of Grade Four launch of the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC).

Book sellers and publishers now fear that without consistence checks on materials sold to parents and teachers, implementation of the new curriculum  could spell doom for their already struggling businesses.

They cautioned teachers to be on the lookout to avoid buying pirated learning materials.

Targeter Education Publisher’s director Boniface Kiarie said production of pirated text books was becoming a headache and called on the government to protect them from the unregulated players.

They said fake publishers taint the image of renowned publishers when deficiencies arise from the materials. The publishers have been on the spot for publishing materials with errors.

“We are asking the government to tighten the laws and regulations. These people publish books with errors and the blame comes to us genuine publishers, let there be order in the business,” said Kiarie.

Moran Publishers Public Relations and Brand Manager Blaise Mwangi said the vice is also a threat to the government that ends up losing millions of revenue. 

“If someone publishes pirated books, it means they evade the 16 per cent VAT, which means the government loses million of shillings,” he added. The publishers took issue with decentralisation of the procuring and distribution of textbooks.