Kapenguria: Parents in Homa Bay have raised concern over the rising cost of school textbooks and other learning materials as schools reopen for the first term of 2026. Speaking to parents at several bookshops in Homa Bay town, they said the tough economic times have made it difficult to buy all the required books at once, forcing many to purchase only the most basic learning materials.

According to Kenya News Agency, John Yamboi, a parent, expressed his dismay after traveling a long distance to buy textbooks for his children only to be shocked by the current prices. "I have come to Maam Bookshop to buy books, but the prices are very high. I cannot afford to buy all of them at once, so I am forced to take them one by one," Yamboi stated. He highlighted the struggle parents face with high prices that strain households and appealed to the government to intervene and lower the cost of books.

Another parent, Faith Bosibori, who has one child in Grade 5, one in Grade 7, and another in college, emphasized the difficulty of balancing education costs with basic household needs. "Books are very expensive and as a parent, I cannot afford to buy all the books for all my children. You are forced to buy only the basic ones and in bits because the family also needs feeding, rent needs to be paid, and other family needs must be met," she explained.

Paul Otewa shared similar views, noting the overall cost of education has sharply increased. "Everything has gone up - books, pens, uniforms, and even school fees," Otewa remarked. He urged leaders and authorities to address the issues affecting parents as many families are experiencing hardship.

Bookshop owners also expressed concern about how high prices have impacted sales. Milicent Matengo, who runs a bookshop in Homa Bay, observed that business has significantly dropped compared to previous years. "As you can see, we have only served two customers since we opened in the morning. In the past during this period, the shop would be full and parents would be lining up but it is not the case this year because there is no money. The costs of books are high, and even parents who want to buy cannot afford all the books, so they only pick a few which they can afford," Matengo noted.

The parents are appealing to the government and relevant authorities to consider measures that would lower the cost of learning materials to ease the burden on families as the new school term begins.