This study was designed to find out how far suggested textbooks have been adopted in teaching a new chemistry syllabus in Kenya and if the chemistry books now being used in schools to teach the new syllabus involve activity and encourage the process of scientific inquiry. The new syllabus is a merger between the traditional separate chemistry syllabus and the Secondary Science Project chemistry syllabus. Data were obtained by means of three instruments (included in appendices): a student questionnaire, a teacher questionnaire, and a textbook rating sheet. Among the results reported are those indicating that the 10 teachers surveyed did not know of an established procedure and criteria for recommending and selecting textbooks, that only three of the six suggested books were found in the schools investigated, and that for both teachers and students, the major role of the textbook is that of providing information. Two of the recommendations offered suggest the need to decentralize the procedure for recommending books at the school level to involve all teachers, and to conduct a more exhaustive evaluation of the chemistry course to determine if objectives are being met and the kinds of problems hindering their successful implementation. (JN)