TSC intrigues: Why the fight for CEO post is heating up

It is more than six months since the Teachers Service Commission advertised for the post of CEO. Weeks and months later there is no proof anyone applied for the jobs or a shortlist of the potential chief executives.

However, as Kenyans await the names of those who will take up the hot seat, behind the scenes influential people are burning the midnight oil to influence the selection.

The Standard can reveal the dramatic tug-of-war over the recruitment of TSC’s next boss. 

 The commission must appoint a CEO as the six months limit by the acting CEO Eveleen Mitei has been exhausted. The push and pull is characterised on one side by internal loyalties led by TSC commissioners and external political pressures, where the powers that be want to handpick the commission’s new boss as a reward to his political cronies.

Dr Nancy Macharia, who retired on June 30 - having spent ten years in office - spearheaded sweeping reforms, from massive teacher recruitments to the digitisation of core services and amicable solutions to disputes with teachers’ unions. 

Her exit gave way to her deputy, Mitei, who was appointed by the board as Acting CEO. The board had announced a vacancy in May and intense lobbying started. 

Within TSC’s nine-member Commission, a faction emerged with a mission to keep the leadership firmly in the hands of a career TSC insider. A source within TSC intimated to The Standard: “An insider is easier to work with. They can’t rock the boat. They understand how the commission works and know the culture at TSC. An outsider might bring in systems that don’t favour the people within TSC.”

TSC board commissioners are Chairman Jamleck Muturi and Vice Chair Leila Ali. Other commissioners are Mbage Njuguna Ng’ang’a, Timon Oyucho, Sharon Kisire, Annceta Wafukho, Nicodemus Anyang, Christine Kahindi and Salesa Abudo.

To get a competitive edge over candidates considered to be outsiders, a faction of the TSC commissioners encouraged all eligible senior staff at the commission to put in their applications. The current acting CEO, Mitei, who has been a long-serving human resources head, didn’t put in her application. 

The internal candidates who applied read like a roll call of TSC’s most senior managers. Antonina Lentoijoni is the director of Staffing, Simon Kavisi is the director of Administration Services while Cheptumo Ayabei is the director of Finance. Ayabei joined the commission in 1999 as a Finance Officer and rose to the position of Finance Director in 2009. Before TSC, Ayabei served in the Ministry of Education from 1990 to 1999 and holds Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Kenyatta University and a Master’s in Finance and Banking from Stirling University, UK. He also holds CPA (K) certification. 

Another notable name is Dr Reuben Nthamburi, who is the director of Quality Assurance, recognised as one of the top contenders for the prestigious position. He holds a PhD in education communication from Moi University and before TSC, he was the deputy director of basic education at the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO for eight years. He was also a deputy director at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, where he coordinated and supervised the development of curriculum for primary secondary and teacher education, as well as developing e-learning resources. Initially, he was senior assistant director in charge of e-learning at the same institution. 

For gender inclusion in case a female has to be chosen to head TSC, the director of staffing Antonina Lentoijoni is highly touted alongside Elgeyo Marakwet politician and career educationist Grace Cheserek. Another insider, Gabriel Mathenge who is head of operations at the TSC ring fences the list of insiders.

Reportedly, teachers’ union leaders are said to be part of the insider campaign, afraid that an external appointee, especially a political one, might disrupt ongoing reforms and destabilise the commission’s way of operations.  

Another name said to be in the shortlist is former director of Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Julius Jwan. Ministry of Education’s Director General Elyas Abdi is also claimed to be eyeing the seat. A career teacher, Abdi served as a teacher before being promoted to a principal and later he went on to serve as an elected official of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association.

However, across town, a parallel faction based in one of the highest government offices has their preferred candidates. This high office is keen to appoint a political ally from the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) shortlist for Principal Secretary positions that was delivered in February 2025. Also in the list of candidates is former MP and Secretary-General of Knut Wilson Sossion.

When reached for comment, Sossion said he doesn’t want to talk about matters touching on TSC.

“I will talk about TSC next year. There are reasons why I can’t talk about it. Come early next year and I will talk to you,” said Sossion.

Sources close to the presidency insist that the TSC CEO post is equivalent in rank to a Permanent Secretary and is too critical to leave entirely in the hands of the Commission.

The plum post is highly lucrative, hence the renewed battle on who will get a seat in the CEO’s office that oversees over 400,000 teachers. For the last financial year (likely 2024/2025), TSC was allocated around Sh387.2 billion, an increase from the prior year, primarily for salaries, allowances, and intern recruitment.

As the bigwigs fight to sit on the hot seat, another matter that has to be settled is a court case filed by activist Thomas Oyugi. Oyugi filed a case before the labour court in Mombasa, stopping recruitment of the CEO, alleging irregularities in advertisement, shortlisting, and eligibility, a move seen as an attempt to delay a politically charged process or to keep the president’s options open.

The formal job advertisement in May required applicants to hold at least a degree in education, possess a minimum of 10 years’ experience, and present all mandatory clearance documents from KRA, EACC, HELB, the DCI, and the CRB. The TSC pledged a transparent process, including publication of applications, interview schedules, and a clear warning against canvassing or providing false information.