The Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Status Timeline
Proposed
Active now
Public Review
Pending
Debate
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Executive
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Final
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Mandatory Digital Submissions
Introduces a new requirement under Section 6(9) for publishers to submit a digital copy of their books to the Registrar, the Kenya National Library Services, the Kenya National Archives, and the Clerk of the Senate.
Delivery to the Clerk of the Senate
Amends Section 6 to require publishers to deliver physical copies of books directly to the Clerk of the Senate, in addition to the Registrar, at their own expense.
Additional Copies on Demand
Empowers both the Registrar and the Clerk of the Senate to demand, by written notice within one year of publication, up to three additional copies of a book to be delivered at the publisher's expense within one month.
Written Acknowledgement of Deliveries
Enacts a new subsection (5A) that mandates the Clerk of the Senate to provide written acknowledgement to the publisher upon receiving any book copies.
Bill No.
No. 47 of 2025
Gazette No.
Supplement No. 169
Sponsor
Daniel Epuyo Nanok
Background
The principal object of the Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025 is to amend the Books and Newspapers Act (Cap. 111) to establish a legal deposit system in the library of Parliament. This system mirrors international models in nations like South Korea, Indonesia, and South Africa, where parliament libraries also serve as national libraries. Under the current framework, books and newspapers are only deposited with the Kenya National Library Services and the Kenya National Archives; this Bill aims to create a permanent record of published works within Parliament.
Key Amendments
- Abolition of Colonial Terminology: The Bill replaces the word "the Colony" with "Kenya" in Section 6, Section 14, and Section 17 of Cap. 111.
- Integration of the Senate Clerk: Section 6 is amended to designate the Clerk of the Senate as an official recipient of physical book deliveries alongside the Registrar.
- Custody of Records: Section 6(7) is updated to mandate that book copies delivered to the Registrar and the Clerk of the Senate must be kept for record purposes or handled in a manner deemed necessary.
New Obligations
- Submitting Digital Editions: Under the new Section 6(9), publishers must submit a digital copy of each published book to the Registrar, the Kenya National Library Services, the Kenya National Archives, and the Clerk of the Senate.
- Furnishing Additional Copies: If requested by notice in writing up to one year post-publication, a publisher must supply up to three additional copies to the Registrar or Clerk of the Senate within one month of receiving the notice.
- Acknowledging Receipt: The Clerk of the Senate is obligated to provide a written acknowledgement of receipt to publishers upon the delivery of book copies.
No updates tracked yet
Updates will be visible here once they are approved and applied to this bill.