Authors and publishers in Kenya may soon be required to submit copies of their works to Parliament under a proposed law seeking to expand the country’s legal deposit system.
The Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025 proposes to make Parliament’s Library an additional statutory repository for all published books and newspapers, alongside existing institutions such as the Kenya National Library Service and the Kenya National Archives.
If approved by lawmakers, the Bill would empower the Registrar or the Clerk of the Senate to request copies of published works for reference, research and archival use by legislators.
Currently, publishers are only obligated to deposit their works with national archival and library institutions. The new proposal aims to broaden access to local literature, research and historical records within the legislature.
According to the Bill, publishers would also be required to submit a digital copy of each book to the Registrar, the Kenya National Library Service, the Kenya National Archives and the Clerk of the Senate.
“The principal objective of this Bill is to amend the Books and Newspapers Act to require the deposit of published works in the Library of Parliament,” the proposal states.
The Bill is sponsored by Turkana West MP Daniel Nanok, who argues that a well-resourced Parliamentary Library would strengthen evidence-based lawmaking, debate and oversight.
Nanok noted that several countries, including South Korea, Indonesia and South Africa, have adopted similar systems, where parliamentary libraries also serve as national repositories of published works.
Under the proposed law, authors and publishers would be required to submit no more than three copies of a book within one year of publication. The Clerk of the Senate would be required to acknowledge receipt in writing, while the cost of delivery would be borne by the publisher or author.
Supporters of the Bill say the move would help preserve Kenya’s intellectual output within Parliament and improve access to local knowledge for lawmakers.
However, the proposal is expected to trigger debate within the publishing industry, with concerns already being raised over the financial and administrative burden of additional mandatory deposits.
The Bill is expected to be tabled for debate in the National Assembly when Parliament resumes sittings in February, after the long holiday recess.