Outgoing Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia has been nominated to take over as the Murang'a County Public Service Board chairperson.
Ms Macharia, who officially exits the TSC on June 30, 2025, is only waiting approval of the County assembly where if endorsed, hers will be a case of retiring to easily walk into another public service job.
The TSC has since named Ms Eveleen Mitei as the Acting CEO through an internal memo dated June 1, 2025. But her recruitment process has been suspended by the Employment and Labour Relations Court pending determination of a petition filed by Mr Thomas Oyugi citing constitutional and procedural issues.
The petitioner alleged that the process was riddled with constitutional violations and discriminatory criteria. He also claimed that the vacancy was not officially declared before the advertisement and questioned the adequacy of the 21-day application window, which opened on May 6 and closed on May 27, 2025.
In a communication dated June 18, 2025, Governor Irungu Kang'ata asked the Murang’a County Assembly to approve five people to be overseeing public service appointments.
The communication invokes Section 6 of the Public Appointments (County Assemblies Approval) Act 2017 and Section 58A (7) of the County Governments Act, 2012 in seeking the endorsement of Ms Macharia 63, and four others. The others are Dr Louis Mwende Musikali, Mr Johnson Kangethe Kinyua, Dr Brian Lishenga Makamu and Mr Oscar Kimani Gathura who is proposed to serve as the board's secretary.
If approved, Ms Macharia will take over the new role for a period of five years, with the option of being renewed for one more time. The names have since been submitted to the Committee on Governance, Labour, Social Welfare, Justice and Legal Affairs for vetting in line with Standing Order 47.
According to County Assembly Speaker Johnson Mukuha, the committee will hold an approval hearing and table its report for consideration.
Ms Macharia has served TSC for 10 years and her possible appointment in Murang'a has elicited mixed reactions.
Mr Joseph Kibugi, who heads Kibugi wa Ihii Foundation that empowers young people, says that giving Ms Macharia the Murang’a job at 63 years is an insult to young job seekers.
"I have been telling our governor that he is spiting Murang'a youths because he only gives the youth street sweeping jobs but appoints retirees into prestigious positions," he said. "This is utter contempt and for it; Dr Kang'ata should be one term."
But Murang'a Youth, Sports and Culture County Executive Committee Member Noah Gachucha dismissed Mr Kibugi's sentiments as "ignorance-influenced".
"Managing matters of employing require experience and a track record as carried by Ms Macharia. We should be appreciating Governor Kang'ata's visionary leadership that seeks to tap the services of a decorated mover and shaker of a giant commission like TSC. We risk missing the point if we keep trying to scandalise our elders and marginalise them to a point of trying to lock them out," he said.
Mr Gachucha said Dr Kang'ata’s administration is strengthening the digitisation drive in core departments. "Ms Macharia was a member of the team that steered the national integrated data system at the TSC, including negotiating and getting funding from the World Bank," he said.
Ms Macharia was in 2014 awarded the Order of Grand Warrior by President Uhuru Kenyatta for her contribution to development in and outside her workplace. She was born in Murang'a County in 1963 and took over the TSC chief executive post from Mr Gabriel Lengoiboni who retired on June 30, 2015.
Ms Macharia holds a Master of Education (Policy and Management) degree from Bristol University, UK and a Bachelor of Education degree in English/Literature from Kenyatta University.
After graduating from Kenyatta University with a Bachelor of Education in English/Literature in 1987, she worked at Kahuhia Girls’ Secondary in Murang’a for five years until she was promoted to deputy head teacher at Kianderi Girls’ Secondary in the same county.
Ms Macharia served as the 9th TSC chief executive. Her predecessors are Mr Jesse Muhoro (1967 to 1974), Mr James Kamunge (1974 to 1977), Mr Duncan Mwangi (1978 to 1980), Mr Joseph Lijembe (1980 to 1982), Mr Jackson Kang’ali (1982 to 1998), Mr Benjamin Sogomo (1998 to 2003), Mr James Ongwae (2003 to 2004) and Mr Lengoiboni (2005 to 2025).
