Dr Jamleck Muturi John and Timon Alfred Otieno Oyucho were yesterday, 3/5/2021, sworn in as Chairman and member of Teachers Service Commission (TSC), respectively, at the Supreme Court of Kenya.
After been vetted by Parliament, President Uhuru approved the two to commence their duties at the Commission and yesterday Supreme Court cleared the last hurdle for them to start.
Muturi was the Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperative executive in Embu County while Oyucho served as TSC Director Legal, Labour and Industrial Relations Directorate.
Muturi beat six other contestants to emerge top in the interviews. Others who applied for the job include former MP David Koech and Dr Lona Mumelo, former Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) and also member of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).
Jamleck Muturi replaces Dr, Lydia Nzomo. Nzomo was the first person to chair the TSC after it was made a constitutional commission.
She took an oath of office in 2014. However she retired on 18th November last year after serving her six-year term.
Timon Oyucho served as a Principal Discipline Officer, Provincial Staffing Officer, District Staffing Officer and Principal Ratta Mixed Secondary School in Kisumu.
Oyucho has been serving as a TSC lawyer until his appointment.
Jamleck Muturi while appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee said he will improve the quality of teaching through retraining teachers.
Muturi said just like other professionals such as lawyers, teachers should undergo post-graduate training to improve the quality of service.
“This is important for us to bring dignity back to the teaching profession,” he said.
Muturi also promised to implement teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed between TSC and teachers unions in 2017 if the House approves his nomination.
The CBA was scheduled to run for four years and its last phase was paid in July 2020.
Muturi said he’ll ensure teachers are well motivated so that they can deliver their best.
“The teacher should be motivated and able to do their mandate,” he said.
However the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) faulted the CBA saying it favored school administrators and sidelined classroom teachers.
Muturi was first appointed to the Department of Water and Natural Resources and later moved to Education, Science and Technology in 2015.
Muturi holds a Bachelor of Education (Science), a Master in Business Administration, another Master in Science and Agricultural Entomology and a PhD in Agricultural Entomology.
In Embu he is credited with initiating employment of ECDE teachers, building two classrooms and giving free milk to the pupils.
Muturi has also been a high school teacher and principal at Kavutiri and Moi High School Mbiruri in Embu.
He has been a lecturer at Embu University College, Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi and Meru University College of Science.
The vetting of Jamleck Muturi and Timon Oyucho in Parliament was led by Education Committee chair Florence Mutua and also attended by Nominated MP and Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) secretary general Wilson Sossion.
Sossion sought to know how Muturi will handle the issue of delocalisation of teachers spearheaded by CEO Nancy Macharia and outgoing TSC chair Lydia Nzomo.
“I will engage all parties involved and address the contentious issues,” Muturi responded.
Muturi faces a myriad of challenges in the Commission especially due to wrangles between the Commission and the teachers unions also the Teacher Professional Development (TPD) modules which have caused frosty relationship between teachers and the Commission and which some unions have threaten to oppose due to some contentious issues regarding to payment for the modules.
Also another challenge in the offing is the new CBA 2021 – 2025 which may fail after treasury said there are no funds for payrise due to the pandemic and looming elections.