Text Book Centre Celebrates 60 Years Of Operation In Kenya

No photo availableCIO Africa authorByKevin Namunwa
2 min read
Text Book Centre (TBC) marked 60 years of operation in the Kenyan market
L-R Rajnikant Shah, Shareholder TBC, Prof David Mailu, Hasmukhlal (Babu) Shah, Shareholder TBC, Sarit Shah, Director TBC, Malkiat Singh, Mahesh Rughani, Director TBC, John Kiramiti, Laura Andia Chakava for the late Dr Henry Chakava, Wangeci Kanyeki for Muthoni Likimani, Chetan Rughani, COO TBC and Ravi Rughani Shareholder TBC during the presentation of Lifetime Achievement award during the 60th anniversary celebrations held at Radisson Blu on 24th April, 2025.
L-R Rajnikant Shah, Shareholder TBC, Prof David Mailu, Hasmukhlal (Babu) Shah, Shareholder TBC, Sarit Shah, Director TBC, Malkiat Singh, Mahesh Rughani, Director TBC, John Kiramiti, Laura Andia Chakava for the late Dr Henry Chakava, Wangeci Kanyeki for Muthoni Likimani, Chetan Rughani, COO TBC and Ravi Rughani Shareholder TBC during the presentation of Lifetime Achievement award during the 60th anniversary celebrations held at Radisson Blu on 24th April, 2025.

Text Book Centre (TBC) marked 60 years of operation in the Kenyan market. TBC was founded as a partnership between two men – Mr. S V Shah and Mr. M J Rughani in 1964, one year after Kenya’s independence.

Over the years, TBC increased its offering to be much more than a bookshop, providing a wide range of leisure and skill development books, stationery, art & craft supplies and a wide range of tech items.

In the 2023/24 financial year, Kenya allocated $4.76 billion (Ksh 666.08 billion) to the education sector, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. This allocation was the largest for any ministry, department, or agency, representing 31.2 per cent of the total government expenditure on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. The sector saw a 15.61 per cent growth in total expenditure on the education sector during the period.

Sachin Varma, CEO of Text Book Centre, outlined the journey of Text Book Centre through the years, saying that the future of TBC belongs to its customers, staff, authors, and partners.

“Together, we will shape a TBC that not only adapts to change but leads it. Because if the last 60 years have taught us anything, it’s that when we stay true to our mission, the future is always bright,” Varma said.

On his part, Professor Joshua Bagaka, DVC Academic Affairs at KCA University, said that the rapidly evolving landscape of work and learning makes it important to uphold leisure reading and continuous skill development.

“Leisure reading nurtures critical thinking, empathy, and creativity—core competencies in the modern workplace. At KCA University, we recognize that upskilling our staff and students for the careers of the future means embracing a culture of lifelong learning, where intellectual curiosity is matched with practical, future-facing competencies. Institutions and partners that support reading and access to knowledge, such as Text Book Centre, are playing a vital role in this transformative journey,” Professor Bagaka noted.

Traditionally, bookstores have been seen simply as places to purchase books. Over the years, retail has evolved to be more than just brick and mortar but a vibrant hub of ideas,  dialogue and discovery. Today, TBC is a modern bookstore where knowledge is accessed, created, and shared.

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