[3] knls was established in 1965 by an Act of Parliament of the Laws of Kenya to provide library and information services to the Kenyan public.

On the 25th of June 2024 during the nationwide anti-government protests the eldoret branch of the Kenyan national library service was vandalised.

Kenya National Bibliography serves as a selection tool for scholars, lecturers, students', librarians among others.

National Libraries over the ages have been potent instrument for creation, acquisition and dissemination of local content thereby preserving and promoting transmission of cultural practices and values from one generation to another.

knls subscribes to thousands of e-journals, e-books and other e-resource sites and has a stock of specialized collection of government publications dating back to 1980.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, the British Council and the American Cultural Centre provided limited public library services across racial lines.

[clarification needed] In 1960, a report recommending a centralized state-supported public library system for Kenya was made.

Provision of information for development through the national and public library network enables people to fight poverty deprivation and illiteracy and thus supports reading and recovery programs by the government.

Rural and urban poor communities are better able to tackle their problems and introduce social change if they have access to relevant information that meets their needs and interests.

This meant that the majority of those termed as literate (61.5%) were at risk of losing their literacy skills or could not effectively perform within the context of knowledge economies.

However, a country with effective library and information services will achieve continuity in learning and reading beyond the formal school program.

Libraries play a major role in stimulating public interest in books and in promoting reading for knowledge, information and enjoyment – thus knls is indeed a "people's university.