The National Assembly has passed the Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025, paving the way for the Parliament of Kenya Library to become an additional repository for the country’s published literary and intellectual heritage.

The Bill, sponsored by the Chairperson of the Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library, Hon. Daniel Nanok, seeks to amend the Books and Newspapers Act (Cap. 111) to modernise the legal deposit framework and provide for the preservation of books and other published works in both physical and digital formats.

Once enacted, the legislation will expand the existing legal deposit system, which currently provides for the deposit and registration of books and newspapers through the Registrar of Books and Newspapers, with the Kenya National Library Service and Kenya National Archives playing key roles in preserving the country's documentary heritage.

Speaking on the Bill, Hon. Nanok said the Bill would strengthen Parliament’s capacity to preserve and access published knowledge while supporting informed and evidence-based legislative processes.

“The Bill further seeks to expand the role of the Parliament of Kenya Library by designating it as an additional repository for books published in Kenya. This will strengthen Parliament’s institutional knowledge base, enhance its research capacity and support informed, evidence-based legislative processes,” said Hon. Nanok.

The legislation also seeks to strengthen publishers’ legal deposit obligations, introduce requirements for the submission of digital copies of published books and recognise the Clerk of the Senate as an additional recipient of published works.

It further proposes the removal of outdated colonial references in the existing law, aligning the legal framework with contemporary publishing and information preservation practices.

Hon. Nanok cited international examples of parliamentary libraries undertaking national documentary preservation functions, including the Parliamentary Library of South Africa, which is a recognised legal deposit library, and the National Assembly Library of the Republic of Korea.

He noted that such practices demonstrate how parliamentary libraries can extend their traditional legislative support role to safeguarding a country's knowledge and documentary heritage.

The Bill is expected to strengthen Parliament’s access to locally produced research, literature, historical records and other published materials, providing Members of Parliament and researchers with a wider body of reference material for legislative work.

By providing for the preservation of publications in digital formats, the proposed law also addresses the changing nature of publishing and the need to safeguard Kenya’s intellectual output for future generations.