The Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB) has appealed to Parliament for support in recovering more than KSh251.5 million owed by government institutions, saying current government rules prevent one state agency from taking legal action against another.

While appearing before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, KLB Managing Director George Okeyo explained that the bureau has already exhausted administrative efforts to recover the outstanding payments without success.According to the Auditor-General's findings, KLB has trade receivables worth KSh1.05 billion, with KSh251.5 million remaining unpaid for more than 90 days.

Assistant Finance Manager Kenneth Adongo further revealed that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) owes the bureau an additional KSh1.3 billion.

Okeyo also attributed some of the bureau's financial challenges to frequent curriculum changes, noting that they leave booksellers with unsold textbooks, disrupting cash flow across the supply chain and delaying payments back to KLB.To strengthen collections, the bureau has established a dedicated credit control function to closely monitor textbook sales and debt recovery.Members of Parliament questioned the bureau's consideration of writing off some of the debts.

Committee Chairperson Dick Maungu urged KLB to intensify recovery efforts instead, stressing that collecting the outstanding funds is essential for the bureau to meet obligations such as paying suppliers and staff salaries.

The committee has directed its secretariat to summon representatives from the Council of Governors and the National Treasury to explain why public institutions continue delaying payments owed to state corporations.