Final Call: TSC Invites Applications for Secretary/CEO Post Before Tomorrow’s 5 p.m. Deadline
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will close applications for the position of Secretary/Chief Executive Officer tomorrow, Friday, 30th October 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
The Commission is calling on all interested and qualified Kenyans to submit their applications before the window shuts.
Under Vacancy No. TSC/CS/001/2026, advertised on 29th September 2026, the Commission is looking for the person who will lead its secretariat and run one of the largest public workforces in the country.
Once the deadline passes, the process moves to the next stage. Shortlisted applicants will face interview panels, and the Commission has said the names of all applicants and the interview schedule will be published in the print media and on its website, www.tsc.go.ke.
A Deadline That Is Firm
The key word in the advertisement is “received.” Applications must reach the Commission by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. An email sent at the last minute that arrives late, or an envelope still in transit, will not count.
Applicants have three ways to submit. They can apply online through the portal at https://www.recruitment.tsc.go.ke. They can email a PDF attachment to chairperson2026@tsc.go.ke.
Or they can hand-deliver a sealed envelope marked “Application for the post of Secretary/Chief Executive Officer” to the office of the Commission Chairman, 3rd Floor, Tower Wing, TSC House, Kilimanjaro Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi, during official working hours.
Whichever route an applicant chooses, they should submit early, avoid the final-afternoon rush on portals and inboxes, and keep proof of submission.
Each application must include the completed Application Form from the TSC website, a detailed curriculum vitae, certified copies of the National Identity Card or Passport, and relevant academic and professional certificates and testimonials.
Applicants must also attach clearance certificates from five bodies: the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Higher Education Loans Board, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and a recognised Credit Reference Bureau. An application missing any of these risks being treated as incomplete.
Who Can Apply
Section 16(2) of the Teachers Service Commission Act sets four minimum requirements. An applicant must be a Kenyan citizen and hold a degree in education from a university recognised in Kenya.
They must also have at least ten years’ experience in education, administration and management, public administration, human resource or financial management, and meet the leadership and integrity requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution.
The degree must be in education, and strong management or finance experience alone is not enough.
The ten-year experience requirement is broad, however, so candidates from different professional backgrounds can compete provided they hold the education degree.
A Role at the Centre of Kenya’s Education System
TSC is an independent constitutional commission established under Article 237(1) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
It makes decisions on the employment, deployment, discipline and professional standing of teachers, the workforce on which basic education depends.
The Secretary is the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer. Working under the Commission’s guidance, the Secretary heads the secretariat, serves as Accounting Officer and is custodian of all Commission records.
The Secretary also executes the Commission’s decisions, assigns and supervises staff, ensures compliance with public ethics and values, and oversees the implementation of Part IV of the Act.
The Secretary answers to the Commission and executes policy rather than setting it. This is operational leadership of a large public institution, and as Accounting Officer the Secretary carries personal responsibility for how public money is spent.
The successful candidate will serve a five-year term and may be re-appointed for one further five-year term.
According to the advertisement, the package follows Salaries and Remuneration Commission guidelines and includes a gross monthly salary of Kshs. 698,600, an airtime allowance, an official car of up to 3000cc, comprehensive medical cover, a service gratuity, group life and personal accident insurance, car loan and mortgage facilities, security as advised by the Inspector-General of Police, and daily subsistence allowance for travel.
Nine Substantive Leaders Since 1967
The vacancy comes at a notable point in the Commission’s history. Since TSC’s inception in 1967, nine substantive Commission Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers have led its secretariat.
The office was formerly known as Commission Secretary, and the latest substantive holder was Dr. Nancy Macharia. The full timeline is as follows:
- Jesse Muhoro (1967 – 1974). The first Commission Secretary, who served through the Commission’s earliest years.
- James Kamunge (1974 – 1977).
- Duncan Mwangi (1978 – 1980).
- Joseph Lijembe (1980 – 1982).
- Jackson Kang’ali (1982 – 1998). The longest-serving holder of the office in the first three decades, with a tenure of sixteen years.
- Benjamin Sogomo (1998 – 2003).
- James Ongwae (2003 – 2004). The shortest substantive tenure on the list, at about a year.
- Gabriel Lengoiboni (2004 – 2015). He led the Commission for roughly eleven years.
- Dr. Nancy Macharia (2015 – June 2025). She served for about a decade, up to her retirement in June 2025.
Following Dr. Macharia’s retirement, Eveleen Mitei was appointed Acting CEO in June 2025. The current recruitment is therefore meant to replace an acting arrangement with a substantive appointee.
The list shows how tenures have varied. Some Secretaries served a few years or even a single year, while Kang’ali, Lengoiboni and Macharia each led the Commission for a decade or more.
The current advertisement caps the office at two five-year terms, which allows continuity without permanence.
A five-year term is long enough to carry reforms through, and the option of re-appointment gives the Commission a performance check at the midpoint.
What Happens After Tomorrow
When the window closes, the Commission will review the applications and shortlist candidates. Several things follow from the advertisement’s published rules.
Publication of names. The names of all applicants, and the interview schedule for those shortlisted, will be published in the print media and on the TSC website. Applicants should expect their candidacy to become public, and the public will be able to scrutinise the field.
Interviews before panels. Shortlisted applicants will face interview panels. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, so applicants who hear nothing should not assume a delay.
Verification of documents. Providing false information to the Commission is an offence, and documents will be verified with the relevant bodies. A forged or altered certificate is a criminal risk as well as grounds for disqualification.
No canvassing. Canvassing in any form leads to automatic disqualification. Candidates should not lobby commissioners or officials, and supporters should not do so on their behalf.
Advice for Last-Minute Applicants
For anyone still deciding, the remaining hours call for discipline.
First, confirm eligibility. Check the education degree, the ten years’ experience and your Chapter Six standing before spending effort on anything else.
Second, check your clearance certificates. Some can take days or weeks to obtain, so anyone still waiting on one should find out urgently whether it can be secured in time. The deadline is firm, and the advertisement requires all five.
Third, assemble certified copies of your ID or passport, academic and professional certificates, and testimonials.
Fourth, tailor your CV. The Commission asks for a detailed curriculum vitae, so map your experience directly to the duties of head of secretariat, Accounting Officer and custodian of records.
Finally, choose the submission channel you trust most, send early, and keep proof that your application was received.
The Commission has said it is an equal opportunity employer, and the process rewards preparation rather than connections.
Why the Public Should Pay Attention
TSC manages one of the largest public workforces in the country. Its Secretary leads the secretariat that carries out decisions on staffing, discipline, records, payroll-linked processes and compliance.
A weak appointment can slow all of that, while a strong one can improve how teachers are managed and how public money is spent.
The advertisement’s emphasis on ethics, integrity, clearance certificates and document verification reflects that public stake. Three things are worth watching as the process unfolds:
Whether the Commission follows its own rules. It has promised to publish applicants’ names and the interview schedule, and following through is part of what makes a process credible.
How rigorously documents are verified. The strength of that verification will show how seriously the integrity threshold is applied.
Whether the field is genuinely competitive. The broad experience criteria and the three submission channels are designed to attract a wide pool, and a broad field is a good sign.
Conclusion
Tomorrow, Friday, 30th October 2026, at 5:00 p.m., the window to apply for the TSC Secretary/CEO position closes.
For qualified Kenyans, this is the last chance to take part in choosing the successor to a line of leaders that runs from Jesse Muhoro in 1967 to Dr. Nancy Macharia, who retired in June 2025, with Eveleen Mitei acting in the interim.
After the deadline, attention turns to the shortlist, the published names and the interview panels.
If the Commission follows its own published guidelines, the outcome should strengthen confidence in both the appointee and the institution.
