CUEA Participates in The 27th Nairobi International Book Fair
By Christine Barasa and Eva Ogonji
CUEA Press in collaboration with the Directorate of Communications, International Relations, Marketing and Student’s Recruitment (CIRM&SR), were privileged to participate in the 27th Nairobi International Book Fair (NIBF) which is hosted by the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA). Christine Barasa, Moses Muga and Eva Ogonji from CUEA Press, and Benard Auko from CIRM&SR, occupied exhibition stand number 26 with a two-pronged agenda: to sell books and to sell CUEA.\nThe event took place at The Sarit Centre Expo Hall, Nairobi, from 23rd to 27th September 2026 under the theme: Read. Think. Lead. It was graced by Prof. Charles Ong’ondo, the Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). The Kenya Publishers Association which has been in existence since 1972, is a member organisation of about 140 organisations, of which CUEA Press is proudly a part of.
KPA’s purpose is to raise the profile of the publishing industry and promote the value of books for education, entertainment, personal development, and the preservation of Kenya’s cultural heritage. In the light of this, annual Book Fairs have been being held in Nairobi for 30 years now. The Book Fair attracted over 60 local and international publishers and organisations, who secured exhibition stands to showcase their products and services. Moreover, the Book Fair was open to the general public, majority of whom were learners from various primary and secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions. In this setup, the general public, benefit from interactions with publishers and authors. On the flip side, publishers equally get to hear insightful views from their consumers. It is also a grand opportunity for publishing houses to benchmark their products and services against other players in the industry.
The Book Fair additionally offered training opportunities through experts from institutions such as, Kenya National Library Services, Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), among others. The training sessions covered topics like digital publishing trends, copyright, issuance of International Standard Book Number (ISBN), just to name a few.
Exhibition Stand number 26 witnessed visitors ranging from prominent persons in the society like the Chief Guest, Prof. Charles Ong’ondo, and renown journalist and author, Swaleh Mdoe, to learners from different schools. The visitors also had the opportunity to browse and purchase books published by CUEA Press, as well as inquire about the degree programmes and courses offered by the University.
CUEA Press and the Directorate of Communications, International Relations, Marketing and Student’s Recruitment appreciate the support provided by the University Management in facilitating their participation in the 27th NIBF.