Netflix’s ‘The Polygamist’ sparks a major book piracy in Kenya, author fights back

The intersection of streaming entertainment and local commerce is moving faster than ever in Kenya. When a show trends on Netflix, demand for its source material skyrockets overnight. Right now, the series gripping Kenyan viewers is The Polygamist, an adaptation of the acclaimed book by Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi.

But while the screen adaptation is winning hearts, the soaring demand for the physical book has exposed a familiar, darker side of the local marketplace: an influx of bootlegged, copyrighted material flooding unofficial channels across Nairobi.

The issue blew up on social media when Sue Nyathi took to X to directly call out a specific vendor illegally capitalizing on her intellectual property. The target of her post was “Affordable Books,” a merchant operating out of Nairobi’s CBD along Ronald Ngala Street.

The vendor hasn’t been subtle about their operations. Social media promotional imagery reveals entire stacks of counterfeit copies printed with a makeshift Netflix logo slapped onto the cover. The scale of the infringement becomes even clearer where the vendor openly bragged to their followers that they had sold 103 copies in a single day, calling it “the most read book right now.”

According to promotional posts shared by Sue, these unauthorized prints are being sold for a mere KES 350 at Royal Palms Mall (Wing A, 3rd floor, AS22). Exposing the operation, Nyathi issued a stern warning to her readers:

"There are pirated copies of #ThePolygamist being sold at Affordable Books in Nairobi along Ronald Ngala Street. I know the book is in demand & I'm working to make it available there through a reputable supplier. Copyright infringement is a crime. Don't support the violation!"

Seeing this play out on our local tech feeds, I decided to do a bit of real-time investigating. I tracked down the seller’s TikTok page, where they frequently host live streams to pitch books directly to digital buyers. I joined the live feed and explicitly asked the host if they had The Polygamist in stock. Interestingly, she responded directly to me, stating that she didn’t have the book available.

It raises a compelling question: has the online pressure already forced them to pull the illicit stock, or are they simply keeping a low profile on live video while continuing under-the-counter sales at their physical location? Either way, the public call-out has clearly disrupted their open marketing strategy.

How to report content piracy via eCitizen

For readers who want to enjoy trending stories without hurting the creators who write them, the regulatory channels are clear. The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has issued an official advisory on how to handle these street-level and digital infringements.

If you encounter bootleg copies of The Polygamist or any other copyrighted work, you can report it directly to the authorities:

• Portal: Visit the official portal at https://copyright.ecitizen.go.ke
• Action: Select the ‘Report on Infringement Matters’ tab.
• Result: KECOBO has stated that submissions through this channel will be actively investigated and acted upon.

Legal distribution is on the way

Piracy is almost always a sign of an unfulfilled market gap. Recognizing that Kenyans are hungry for official copies, local outfit Kibanga Books has stepped up to offer a legitimate path forward for readers across the region. Kibanga Books publicly reached out to Nyathi to secure official territorial rights:

"We can work through partnership to get them available to East and Central Africa Readers."

In an official pitch, the publisher detailed the strong regional interest in her catalog:

"We are writing to you on behalf of @Kibangabooks, which is interested in acquiring the print rights to distribute your books in East Africa. We believe that your work, especially The Polygamist and the anthology (When Secrets Become Stories: Women Speak Out and your novels) which tackles such a critical topic as gender-based violence, would resonate deeply with readers in this region. We already have 200 pre-orders for #ThePolygamist on https://kibangabooks.com once it’s officially available."

Acknowledging the outreach, Nyathi confirmed that the wheels are turning behind the scenes: “I have received your email. Thank you for getting in touch.”