Teacher Service Commission(TSC) comprises of nine commissioners. Under Article 237(2) of the Constitution, the Commission is mandated to perform the following functions:
1. Register trained teachers.
2. Recruit and employ registered teachers.
3. Assign teachers employed by the Commission for service in any public school or institution.
4. Promote and transfer teachers.
5. Exercise disciplinary control over teachers.
6. Terminate the employment of teachers.
7. Review the standards of education and training of persons entering the teaching service.
8. Review the demand for and supply of teachers.
9. Advise the national government on matters relating to the teaching profession.
After weeks of shoving and pulling, the two recently appointed Teachers Service Commissioners have been sworn in. The two commissioners, Mbage Njuguna and Leila Abdi, were sworn in by the Chief Justice David Maraga on Monday hence joining six other commissioners who were already in office.
It is the appointment of one of the Commissioners, Leila Abdi, that has elicited a heated debate over the last few weeks. During her vetting by Parliament the Law makers were surprised to learn that the said Commissioner did not have her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination certificates.
It is also in the Public domain that she was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, but was raised in Kajiado County.
This prompted a voter in Mandera to opposs the nomination of Leila Abdi Ali as a member of the Teachers Service Commission.
While appearing before the Parliamentary vetting committee, Leila said her grandfather, Ali Kabati, was a freedom fighter and was Thika mayor for 40 years. She further said that she was raised in Loitoktok area and went to Loitoktok DEB Primary School. According to Leila she lost her parents at seven years and had challenges accessing education.
The two commissioners come in to replace the three whose terms expired. First to exit was Commission Vice Chair Cleopas Tirop whose term expired in May this year. Mr Tirop who was appointed in April 2013 exited after serving his six year-non-renewable term. Two other commissioners – Dr Salome Gichura and Saada Abdi Kontoma – left the Commission, this month; August, 2019.
The list of the commissioners are as follows;
1.Dr. Lydia Nzomo- Chairperson of the Commission.
Dr. Nzomo holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from Kenyatta University, Master of Arts Degree in Counseling psychology from United States International University (USIU) and a Bachelor of Arts degree with Diploma in Education option form University of Nairobi. In addition, she has undertaken several courses in Education Management and Administration both locally and internationally.
2. Mubarak Twahir Said- Vice Chairperson of the Commission.
Mbarak holds a Masters of Education degree (Science Education) from University of Leeds and a Bachelors of Education degree (B.Ed. Science) from the University of Nairobi. He also holds an Advanced Diploma in Educational Studies from University of Leeds and a Diploma in Special Education from the County of Copenhagen in Denmark.
SEE ALSO: List of Teacher Service Commission secretariat employees 2020
3. Tache Bonsa Gollo- Commissioner
He holds a Bachelors’ degree in Education from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and has undergone training on corporate governance and Administration and management of schools in Education from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and has undergone training on corporate governance and Administration and management of schools.
4.Beatrice Marembo Adu- Commisioner
Beatrice initially worked for the Teachers Service Commission for eight years. she holds a Bachelor of Education (Arts) degree from the University of Nairobi and has undertaken various professional courses.
5. Kinoti Imanyara- Commissioner.
Kinoti holds a Bachelors’ degree in Education from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Technology from Penn Foster Career School in USA. He has also undergone training at Strathmore University on the Art of Leadership in Educational institutions.
6.Albert Fred Ekirapa – Commissioner.
Ekirapa served for 15 years as a teacher in various schools where he rose through the ranks to the position of principal. He holds a Masters degree in Education Administration from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Kenyatta University. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge from the education sector.
7.Mbage Njuguna- Commissioner.
He is a holder of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree from University of Nairobi. He holds two masters, a Master of Law (LLM) in International Business Law and a Master of Science (MSc.) in Agricultural Development both from the University of London.
He is a certified Public Secretary and an Advocate of High Court of Kenya with over 30 years experience in Corporate and Property Law both in private and public sectors.
8.Leila Abdi- Commissioner.
She is a holder of Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Finance from London South Bank University, UK. She holds a Professional Certificate of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) London, UK.
She worked as a financial specialist for over 15 years in both public and private sector. Her roles included Financial reporting, human resource management and dispute resolution.
