Nairobi, 7th August 2024
Chief Officer for Youth, Talent and Sports Mr. Oscar Igaida graced the event which is a partnership between Nairobi City County Libraries with Soma Nami. He officially launched the second edition of the Nairobi African Book Fair. The event, which is set to run from Tuesday 6th until Sunday, 11th August, marks a notable step in realizing the governor’s manifesto commitment to enhancing access to education and literature across the city.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Igaida said “As outlined in the Governor’s manifesto, we are committed to establishing community libraries in all 17 sub-counties. the importance of this initiative in the broader context of the governor Sakaja’s vision for Nairobi. Today, we make a substantial leap forward to the future as we plan on the establishment of two mobile libraries that will deliver books directly to the community,” Mr. Igaida remarked.
“These mobile libraries will move across the 17 sub counties with an aim to make literature more accessible to all city residents, particularly those with limited access to traditional libraries. “They will ensure everyone is included in our mission to foster a culture of reading and learning across Nairobi.” He added.
The collaboration between Nairobi County and Soma Nami Books has been crucial in realizing this vision the Chief Officer Igaida accentuated that the donations from this partnership have greatly enriched our library’s African section, preserving our heritage and stories for future generations.
The Nairobi African Book Fair, now in its second edition, projects extending it to the streets, turning the city into a lively center for literacy engagement. “We’re excited to announce that the fair will now be held biannually, uniting authors, publishers, and readers to celebrate African literature. This year’s event is just the start; we anticipate hosting the third edition in a fully renovated, state-of-the-art Macmillan Library,” Mr. Igaida said,
Present at the launch was Jacob Ananda Assistant Director Library Services and Jack Wanyanga Assistant Director, Human Resource Management & Development.
End/..