Nairobi’s literary pulse quickens this September as the city gears up for the 26th edition of the Nairobi International Book Fair, hosted at Sarit Centre Expo Hall from 24–28 September 2025. Anchored under the inspiring theme “Inspiring Readers, Shaping Futures,” and dedicated to the late Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, this year’s fair promises a vibrant confluence of stories, scholarship, and accessibility. The theme highlights the transformative power of books and education in shaping the lives of readers, particularly young minds.
Book lovers, as has been the case over the years, can expect books at great discounts. From parents looking for course materials to those seeking leisure reading materials, NIBF 2025 will be a marketplace bustling with ideas and technology. This year, the fair boasts of robotics and AI sessions, more interactive reading sessions, author book signings, panel discussions, and children’s programming designed to ignite a lifelong love of reading.
Spotlighting writers, robotics, and families
eKitabu will be participating in this year’s NIBF and will host a range of sessions from Wednesday, 24 September through Saturday, 27 September, at its stand. Authors like David Maillu of After 4.30, Joan Thatiah of the famous Confessions of Nairobi Men and Women series, Deborah Tendo of Rough Silk, Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki of the Cocktail series, Verah Omwocha of the Kenya Writers Guild and Dr Timothy Arege of Access Publishers, among others, will be speaking to young writers at the stand.
In their effort to promote literacy and critical thinking, eKitabu, through their annual digital essay competition, received over 15,000 essays from learners across 47 counties. The topic, “What is your favourite book and why?” painted a grim reality for the reading culture in Kenya. Could the narrative that Africans don’t read be true?
“When you cannot read, when you cannot write, you cannot express yourself,” said Beatrice Kikuyu, a teacher and a judge for the Digital Essay Competition.
The teacher expressed concerns that could serve as rich research fodder for publishers who are looking to inspire future writers and mitigate issues of comprehension. The new education system that scrapped composition and insha writing at primary school level. She added that due to low capitation, which currently stands at Ksh12 per learner, rural schools stand disadvantaged as they cannot provide for building libraries or acquiring books other than the set books required for school work.
“Most learners aren’t readers, and this was evident in the fact that they chose their set books that they had been taught in class. Even from what their teachers had taught them in class, you could see that they tried to interpret the chapters of the books as an examination instead of picking lessons from the stories. A dedicated and creative teacher thus becomes an important figure in promoting literacy in this country,” she added.
Reading braille is fun
We understand that there is no other medium that surpasses braille for the visually impaired. Even the sighted need to support braille literacy as we work towards inclusivity,” said Dominic Jomo, Clovernook Coordinator in Kenya. The COVID-19 pandemic inspired Jomo’s desire to create storybooks for visually impaired children. “My grandmother used to tell me stories as a child and now my children want me to tell them stories as well. That is when I bumped into africanstorybook.org and I started reading these stories to my children, but I kept wondering about the visually impaired books and whether they had storybooks to keep them and their parents engaged during the lockdown.”
Reading alone isn’t sufficient for visually impaired learners. Through Clovernook’s collaboration with africanstorybook.org, they have managed to supply print books that have text and braille formats, and additionally 3D printed models of characters in the stories, so that learners can touch and feel the characters instead of being left to the world of imagination. Despite the Ministry of Education not tangibly supporting braille literacy efforts by Clovernook, citing budget constraints, Clovernook has managed to impact learners across Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
“We want teachers to come to our stand and see the tools we have for them. From geography maps to organs of the body, we aim to share knowledge with teachers and have our work become more visible. Clovernook is the biggest producer of braille in the world, and the vision is to equip both the teacher and the learner in Kenya,” said Jomo.
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
“We are demystifying a field that for so many seemed very difficult, took a lot of time, and was also very expensive to learn. We are making it accessible, affordable, and hands-on,” said Chipurobo CEO Kevin Irungu.
In the digital age, AI literacy has become imperative for learners to participate in the real world. Parents and teachers will get an opportunity to explore how robotics can fit into the classroom, a massive difference from what they had last year. Visiting learners, teachers and parents will participate in curated activities, including a quick-build robot challenge and coding stations at the eKitabu stand from Wednesday to Saturday in the afternoons.
“Being able to join 0s and 1s (bits in the computer language) and some level of hardware to make something move or behave in a certain way is a priceless moment. You are joining disciplines and worlds that you would otherwise need to have around three to four years of experience just to do so.”
Unveiling the first French Prize for Literature
Something new is coming to the NIBF this year and that is the all-new French Prize for Literature that will see the awarding of four books by different publishers in the continent—including Éditions Karné, Éditions Akoma Mba and Éditions Vizavi.
“This prize is about more than awards—it’s about creating connections,” said eKitabu CEO Will Clurman. “By spotlighting French-language children’s books and bridging Francophone and Anglophone publishing, we are opening new opportunities for African literature to thrive, circulate, and inspire readers across the continent and beyond.”
By elevating these works, the prize strengthens their visibility, circulation, and impact, ensuring that stories written in French by African publishers reach more readers across the continent and beyond.
With discounted books, robotics, children’s readings and bold conversations, the Nairobi International Book Fair 2025 is set to affirm its role as East Africa’s biggest stage for stories and ideas. A reminder that reading remains at the heart of shaping Kenya’s future.