One Day, Five Interviews: The Contest for TSC’s Chief Executive Post
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has shortlisted five candidates for the position of Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, narrowing a field of 124 applicants to a small group that will face interviews at the commission’s headquarters in Nairobi. Among them is Dr. Evaleen Jesang Mitei, the commission’s current acting CEO.
The announcement was made in a public notice issued by TSC Chairperson Dr. Jamleck Muturi John. It sets out the recruitment timeline, the eligibility criteria applicants were measured against, the names of the shortlisted candidates, and the documents each must present. It also invites the public to submit information on any of the five.
A constitutional mandate
TSC says the process rests on firm legal ground. Under Article 250(12) of the Constitution and section 16(1) of the Teachers Service Commission Act, No. 12 of 2012, the commission is mandated to appoint a Secretary/CEO through a competitive recruitment process.
The Secretary/CEO is the commission’s chief administrative officer. The role is central to how TSC runs one of the largest public workforces in the country, and the competitive process is meant to show that the appointment is made on merit.
From 124 applications to five
TSC advertised the single vacancy on 29 September 2026 and invited qualified persons to apply. The window closed on 30 October 2026 at 5:00 pm. By then, 124 applications had been received.
Each was reviewed for completeness, submission and conformity with four requirements. An applicant had to:
- be a citizen of Kenya;
- hold a degree in Education from a university recognised in Kenya;
- possess at least ten years’ experience in education, administration and management, public administration, human resource or financial management; and
- meet the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution, which deals with leadership and integrity.
The first three are largely matters of record. The Chapter Six requirement is the more exacting test of a candidate’s suitability for public office, and it explains why the commission is asking for so many clearances at the interview stage.
The commission published the full long list of 124 names alongside the shortlist. That is a transparency measure, since anyone can see who applied and who advanced. The shortlisting rate works out to roughly one in 25 applicants.
The five candidates
The shortlisted candidates, in order of interview, are:
- Mr. Cheptumo Ayabei, from Baringo County, listed as male and a person with disability (PWD), at 9:00 am.
- Dr. Evaleen Jesang Mitei, from Uasin Gishu County, the only woman on the list, at 10:00 am.
- Mr. Robert Odette, from Migori County, at 11:00 am.
- Mr. Lawrence Ngai Kaburu, from Tharaka Nithi County, at 12:00 noon.
- Mr. Farah Abdi Saman, from Mandera County, at 1:00 pm.
The list draws from five counties across different regions, from the North Rift and Lake region to the Mt. Kenya region and the North Eastern part of the country.
It includes one woman and one candidate identified as a person with disability. The commission’s closing statement on equal opportunity, which describes TSC as an employer that selects on merit through fair and open competition “from the widest range of eligible candidates,” reads against that backdrop.
The acting CEO in the mix
The most closely watched name on the list is Dr. Mitei, who currently serves as acting CEO of the commission.
Her inclusion means the institution’s current day-to-day leader is also a contender for the substantive post.
Acting appointments are common in public institutions while a permanent recruitment is under way, and an acting officer is not guaranteed the substantive job. The notice gives no indication that any candidate holds an advantage.
Dr. Mitei, like the other four, must pass the same interview, present the same original documents and undergo the same public scrutiny.
Observers will nonetheless be watching how an incumbent acting officer fares against four challengers.
Interviews at TSC House
All five interviews are scheduled for a single day, 16 November 2026, at the TSC Building on the 3rd Floor (Tower) in Upper Hill, Nairobi.
The notice says each candidate must be at the venue at least 30 minutes before the indicated interview time.
Each candidate must also bring original copies of a long list of documents. These are:
- the National Identity Card;
- academic and professional certificates and transcripts;
- any other supporting documents and testimonials; and
- current valid clearances from several bodies.
The required clearances are:
- the Kenya Revenue Authority;
- the Higher Education Loans Board;
- the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, either a printed online self-declaration acknowledgement receipt or a duly stamped self-declaration form for this job application;
- a registered Credit Reference Bureau;
- the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, in the form of a Police Clearance Certificate;
- the Commission for University Education (CUE), through a letter of recognition of qualifications, for candidates with degrees from foreign universities; and
- relevant professional bodies and associations, where applicable.
Taken together, the requirements amount to a full check of a candidate’s tax compliance, financial standing, criminal record, academic credentials and ethical conduct.
The public’s role
One feature of the notice is the invitation to the public. TSC is asking members of the public to submit “any credible information of interest” about any shortlisted candidate.
The notice specifies that such information must come through sworn affidavits, which discourages casual or frivolous allegations by requiring those who make claims to stand behind them under oath.
Submissions can be sent to the Chairperson, Teachers Service Commission, 3rd Floor (Tower), TSC Building, Kilimanjaro Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi, or emailed to chairperson2026@tsc.go.ke.
They must reach the commission on or before 13 November 2026, three days before the interviews.
The commission also says it may interview any member of the public who submits information, and that such information will be treated as confidential.
The confidentiality assurance matters because people with relevant knowledge may fear reprisal or exposure if they come forward.
At the same time, the requirement for sworn affidavits and the possibility of being interviewed mean the commission intends to test the credibility of what it receives.
Why this appointment matters
TSC is the constitutional body responsible for registering, recruiting, deploying, promoting and disciplining teachers in public schools. The Secretary/CEO leads the secretariat that carries out those functions, and so shapes how effectively the commission serves teachers, learners and the education sector as a whole.
A credible, merit-based recruitment therefore matters beyond the five names. How the commission handles the public vetting phase and the interview day will signal how seriously it takes the integrity standards it has set.
The thorough clearance requirements and the open invitation for public input are the kind of safeguards that, if applied consistently, can strengthen confidence in the outcome.
What happens next
The next two weeks are decisive. The window for public submissions closes on 13 November, and the commission will then weigh whatever it receives before the candidates appear on 16 November.
After the interviews, the commission is expected to deliberate and make its appointment under the mandate set out in the Constitution and the TSC Act. The notice does not say when a final decision will be announced.
For the five candidates, the coming days will involve gathering and verifying the documentation required, and for some, securing clearances that can take time to process.
For the public, the notice offers a rare formal avenue to contribute to the vetting of a senior public official.