Longhorn to buy in legal content publisher

Longhorn Publishers Limited Managing Director Simon Ngigi speaks at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi on November 11, 2015 during a media briefing. Longhorn is poised to acquire a stake in a legal content publishing firm. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Law Africa produces legal and related information in print and electronic books form in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and has three wholly owned subsidiaries operating in the three countries.

Longhorn is set to acquire a 74 per cent stake in Law Africa Publishing, a private East Africa-focused legal content producer, making further inroads into the tertiary market.

Law Africa produces legal and related information in print and electronic books form in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and has three wholly owned subsidiaries operating in the three countries.

Longhorn said the deal is worth Sh102 million. Law Africa business unit will be bought by Longhorn but marketed separately, the publisher said.

The purchase agreement, which is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, was signed last Thursday.

“Longhorn Publishers Ltd hereby announces to the public that the company has on June 9, 2016 entered into an agreement with the shareholders of Law Africa Publishing Limited for the sale and purchase of 74 per cent of the issued share capital of Law Africa Publishing,” Longhorn Managing Director Simon Ngigi said in a regulatory notice.

“Completion of the proposed acquisition is subject to several conditions being obtained including all regulatory approvals from the Competition Authority of Kenya, the Capital Markets Authority of Kenya and the approval by the shareholders of the company.”

The move is expected to help Longhorn extend its hold of the region’s publishing market.

“The entry of Law Africa will put Longhorn at the top of tertiary product offering and accelerate the regional expansion strategy by offering law books to universities and other tertiary institutions in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda,” it said.

Law Africa subsidiaries include Law Africa Publishing Uganda, Law Africa Publishing Tanzania and Nathan Limited.