Alarm as fake maths books flood market ahead of exam

Students at Moi Girls High School tackle their mathematics paper 1 exam during the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education on November 7, 2016. As the 2017 exams near, an alarm has been raised as fake mathematical tables flooding the market. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kisii, Kisumu and Eldoret top in the list of areas where the illegal business is thriving.

  • The fake books could have adverse effects on the 2017 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education mathematics examination results for students from around the affected counties.

  • The Kenya Copyright Board and the Anti-Counterfeit Agency have taken over the matter.

Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB) has raised the red flag over pirated mathematical log tables that have flooded the market in parts of the country.

Kisii, Kisumu and Eldoret top in the list of areas where the illegal business is thriving.

The fake books could have adverse effects on the 2017 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education mathematics examination results for students from around the affected counties.

In Kisii County, three people were on Monday seized with counterfeit copies of the just-released sixth edition of mathematical tables.

SELLING

“We spotted the three together with others who escaped arrest selling the books near designated bookshops in Kisii town at a relatively cheaper price than the genuine ones,” said Mr Isaac Korir, a customer service manager at KLB.

The Kenya Copyright Board and the Anti-Counterfeit Agency have taken over the matter.

Mr Korir said the pirated books went for Sh300 while the original books cost Sh520 in bookshops.

“Unsuspecting parents and students will go for the cheaper ones not knowing the books are fake and could lead to poor results,” he said.

Bookshop owners who requested anonymity for the safety of their businesses,  said pirated books offered unfair competition leading to stagnated business and losses.