Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a teacher from Makueni for authoring a Facebook post claiming that Teachers Service Commission (TSC) CEO Nancy Macharia had passed away.
The man, identified as Jeremiah Mwavuganga Samuel, allegedly authored the Facebook post using a fake account purporting it to be that of the TSC.
“His pursuit and subsequent arrest followed an extensive forensic analysis to identify the suspect, a joint operation shouldered by DCI Emali and the Crime Research & Intelligence Bureau detectives,” DCI said on Twitter.
According to detectives, the 31-year-old man, who has been a teacher at Musiini Primary School in Makueni for four years, was found in possession of the handset used in creating the viral post. The fake account was also confirmed to be his.
To be charged
Mr Mwavuganga was taken to the DCI headquarters and will be arraigned today (Monday).
The detectives further put on notice individuals misusing social media platforms to author misleading information, blackmailing and defrauding others.
“The DCI passes a stern warning to those who misuse social media platforms by authoring misleading messages, aimed at causing abject humiliation, blackmailing, defrauding and any such information that is punishable by law. Such contemptible conducts will be investigated and perpetrators brought to book.”
About TSC CEO Nancy Macharia
Dr. Nancy Njeri Macharia is the Chief Executive Officer of the Teachers Service Commission.
She was first appointed the Teachers Service Commission (RSC) Secretary/Chief Executive Officer to take over from Gabriel Lengoiboni who retired on June 30th, 2015.
Her appointment followed the conclusion of a competitive recruitment process that started on May 1st, 2015 when the position was advertised.
The advertisement for the post of CEO attracted 69 candidates. Four were shortlisted. After two days of interviews, Ms. Macharia was selected to be the ninth, and first female, chief executive to head TSC since the first appointment in 1967.
She 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. She has worked in the education sector for more than 28 years.
Born in 1963, Ms. Macharia has trained both locally and internationally in Corporate Governance, Public Procurement, Policy Formation, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Proactive Management and Business Excellence Models, among others.
She is a member of the Kenya Association of Public Administration Management (KAPAM) and Institute of Directors.
Ms Macharia is the 9th Commission Secretary/Chief Executive Officer after 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), Benjamin Sogomo (1998 to 2003), Mr James Ongwae (2003 to 2004) and her predecessor Mr Gabriel K Lengoiboni.
Ms. Macharia started her career with the country’s largest single employer as an assistant teacher. Her most previous role prioe to being appointed CEO was as director of teacher management.
Ms. Macharia graduated from Kenyatta University with a Bachelor of Education in English/Literature in 1987 before she started working at Kahuhia Girls’ Secondary in Murang’a, where she remained for five years until she was promoted to deputy head teacher at Kianderi Girls’ Secondary in the same county.
She later left the teaching arena to be a staffing officer, rising through the ranks until she was appointed the TSC CEO nearly three decades after she was employed.
In 2002 she pursued a Master’s degree in education at Bristol University in the UK, specialising in management of policy studies.
As the director-teacher manager, she reported directly to the CEO and was tasked with the management of her four senior deputies, 47 county directors, 177 office staff and more than 1,500 field staff.
Part of her previous role was negotiations with teachers’ unions to mitigate disruptions.
In 2014, she was awarded the Order of Grand Warrior by President Uhuru Kenyatta for her contribution to development in and outside her workplace.
She was a member of the team that steered the national integrated data system for TSC, including negotiating and getting funding from the World Bank.
She initiated the teacher management information system in a bid to eliminate ghost workers that have been a major concern in public service.
In her CV, Ms. Macharia has listed travelling, gym, music, farming and assisting the less fortunate as some of her hobbies. Nancy Macharia Biography.
Mr Mwavuganga acted ignorantly. If ignorance is defense at any point, the teacher should be forgiven. But if ignorance is not a defense then the teacher owe the CEO & TSC fraternity an apology. At 31 this fellow has a long way to go. Our lady of mercy, Nancy please have mercy on the young man.
Teachers sometimes should not be drunk with excitement. Why should a trained young teacher whose career is beginning create and post such false, misleading sensitive script about a C .E.O if it will not take the mercies and prowess of our experienced, able CEO Dr. Nancy Macharia then the young man will come face to face with the English saying: From the frying pan into the fire. Sometimes tuwe na hekima please.