Uhuru locks Rift Valley out of top TSC position

Teachers from Mandera County outside the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) headquarters in Upper Hill Nairobi as they pushed for transfers from Nothern Eastern over insecurity. (Willis Awandu, Standard)

Rift Valley region has missed out on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s list of nominees to replace three commissioners at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Three regions – Rift Valley, Central and North Eastern – were expected to get new representatives after the three Commissioners who represented them retired last year.

Commissioners Cleophas Tirop (Rift Valley), Salome Gichura (Central) and Saadia Kontoma (North Eastern) exited the TSC last year after their six-year term ended.

Two names

This week, President Kenyatta only forwarded the names of two candidates to Parliament – Mbage Njuguna Ng’ang’a and Leila Abdi Ali, representing Central and North Eastern regions respectively.

The President seems to have dropped the names of Margaret Lesuuda and Mary Rotich who had been nominated and names forwarded to Uhuru by the selection panel. Both are from Rift Valley.

One of the two was a possible replacement of Commissioner Tirop.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi this week asked the Education Committee to fast track vetting for approval or rejection of the two names.

“The Committee should expeditiously notify the nominees and the general public, commence the necessary approval hearings and submit its report to the House on or before March 18, to enable it consider the nominees within the statutory timelines,” said Muturi.

It was not immediately clear why any of the two names of nominees representing Rift Valley was not forwarded to the House.

Sources however hinted to Saturday Standard that the quest to balance professional expertise at the Commission may have informed the decision. Nga’ng’a has a legal background.

Leila Abdi is an auditor. Both Lesuuda and Rotich are teachers or educationists by profession.

Of the 24 applicants chosen for interviews by the TSC selection panel, Rift Valley had the highest number with five candidates shortlisted.

Regional balance

Prof John Munene Njenga chaired the selection panel. Central and North Eastern regions had four applicants each with three from Eastern. Western, Coast and Nyanza regions had two candidates each. After the interviews where regional balance, gender and persons with disability factors largely determine successful candidates, only nine were recommended.

Under the central region, the panel recommended four candidates to replace Commissioner Gichura. Nga’ng’a, a lawyer, was picked.

She will replace Commissioner Gichura. If Parliament approves Leila Abdi and Mbage Njuguna Ng’ang’a, they will join sitting Commissioners Beatrice Adu, Mbarak Twahir, Kinoti Imanyara, Tache Gollo and Albert Ekirapa whose terms are still valid.

Lydia Nzomo is the current chairperson of the commission.