By Moses Njagih

NAIROBI; KENYA: Parliament has approved three nominees for Teachers Service Commission (TSC) but declined to recommend appointment of Mr Kiragu wa Magochi as chair of the body.

The legislators strongly vouched for the appointment of Dr Lydia Nzomo in the place of Magochi, who had topped interviews conducted for the position.

Her name, it emerged, had controversially been left out among those sent to President Kibaki for nomination.

While approving names of Mr Cleophas Tirop, Mr Fredrick Ochieng and Mr Adan Abdullahi as members of the commission, the MPs called for investigation of the panel that interviewed the candidates. They questioned why Dr Nzomo’s name was not included among those sent to President Kibaki.

According to the interviewing panel that was headed by educationist Dr James Kamunge, Nzomo, who is Kenya Institute of Education director, emerged top candidate with a score of 80.3 per cent while Magochi came second with 73.3 per cent.

The MPs dismissed allegations that Nzomo’s name was left out as she was under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for graft at her current station, saying details of such probe had not been presented to the House.

“Let whoever is claiming that Nzomo is under investigation by EACC bring those details here, but as long as this House does not have any such details, we demand that the best candidate be nominated for the position,” said Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, who is also the Government Chief Whip.

Female legislators led by Public Health minister Beth Mugo strongly vouched for Nzomo, saying her exemplary performance at KIE was an indicator that she was qualified to head the commission.

irregularities

For commission members’ nominees, Tirop, the principal of Nairobi School and chairman of Kenya Secondary School Heads Association was the top performer scoring 81.4 per cent followed by Salome Gichura, who scored 78.7 per cent and Julius Jwan 71.8 per cent.

But in this category Dr Gichura and Mr Jwan were left out and instead Mr Ochieng, who had 71.6 per cent, Abdullahi with 70.3 and Kahindi with 68.6 per cent were selected.

The approval of the nominees followed fresh submission of the list to the House earlier yesterday.

The MPs had last week rejected the first list that was brought to the House on December 27, last year, prompting President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to hastily give Parliament other names.

Teachers unions led voices against names of nominees forwarded to the two principals. Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers  (Kuppet) rejected the list  claiming there were irregularities in the appointments.

Preferred candidates

On the other hand, Kenya National Union of Teachers  national chairman Wilson Sossion and Secretary General Xavier Nyamu opposssed the list urging Parliament should reject it. “The fact that candidates who had been ranked fourth, fifth and seventh positions have been picked and forwarded to Parliament for vetting for the position of commissioners is a clear indication how wrong things have gone in this Government,” Kuppet’s Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima said.

Mr Nthurima added that the essence of interviewing candidates was to get the best to hold the advertised positions, but not to throw merit out of the window in favour of preferred candidates.