The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has appointed Eveleen Mitei as Acting Chief Executive Officer, following the departure of Nancy Macharia, who has proceeded on terminal leave.
Mitei, who currently serves as Director of Teacher Discipline Management, joined the Commission in 1994 as a teacher before transitioning to the Secretariat in 1999.
She has since risen through various ranks within the organisation.
She is among five senior officials within the Commission considered potential successors to Macharia.
Mitei holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from the University of Manchester (UK) and a Bachelor of Education from Moi University.
She has previously held positions such as Staffing Officer, Human Resource Management and Development Officer, and Discipline Officer.
Macharia communicated her exit through an internal memo dated June 1, addressed to TSC staff, indicating that she had begun her terminal leave ahead of her official retirement on June 30, 2025.
“I am proceeding on terminal leave with effect from today, June 1, 2025, pending my retirement from the Teachers Service Commission after serving the Commission in various capacities,” read the memo in part.
“In the meantime, note that the Commission has appointed Ms. Evelyn Mitei to act as the Commission Secretary/CEO pending the appointment of my successor. I urge you to accord her the necessary support."
The leadership transition comes amid a legal petition challenging the ongoing recruitment process for the next TSC CEO.
The Labour and Employment Court in Mombasa issued interim orders suspending the recruitment process following a petition filed by a Mombasa resident, Thomas Mosomi Oyugi.
In the petition, Oyugi raises concerns over alleged constitutional and procedural issues related to the recruitment criteria.
Justice Ocharo Kebira, presiding over the matter, issued temporary orders halting the process after certifying the petition as urgent.
"Upon reading the application, the grounds upon which it is premised, and the affidavit in support thereof, it is hereby ordered that the application is certified urgent... That the status quo as of May 27, 2025, regarding the impugned process shall be maintained until further orders of this court. That the application be heard inter partes on June 9, 2025," ruled Justice Kebira.
Oyugi’s petition claims the vacancy was not officially declared before the advertisement and questions the adequacy of the 21-day application window, which opened on May 6 and closed on May 27, 2025.
He also takes issue with Section 16(2) of the TSC Act, which sets the qualifications for the CEO position.
The section requires that a candidate be a Kenyan citizen, hold a degree in education from a recognised Kenyan university, possess at least 10 years of experience in education or public administration, and meet the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution.
The petitioner contends that limiting eligibility to education degree holders may exclude qualified individuals from other professional backgrounds and could raise concerns around equitable access to public office.
