Eveleen Mitei has been appointed as the Acting CEO of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) as the race to replace Nancy Macharia continues.
The decision to appoint Mitei was communicated in an internal memo dated June 1, 2025, by Macharia. Mitei currently serves as the Deputy Head of Human Resources Directorate at TSC, in charge of the HRM Division.
In the memo, Macharia announced she will proceed on terminal leave ahead of her stepping down on June 30, when her 10-year tenure ends.
"I am proceeding on Terminal Leave with effect from today, June 1, 2025, pending my retirement from the Teachers Service Commission on June 30, 2025, after serving the Commission in various capacities,” Macharia said.
She added, “In the meantime, note that the Commission has appointed Ms Eveleen Mitei to act as the Commission Secretary/CEO pending the appointment of my successor. I urge you to accord her the necessary support," said Dr Macharia.
Macharia has served as the CEO of TSC since June 2015, when she was first appointed. She was reappointed in 2020 for a second five-year term.
However, the search for her replacement has hit headwinds after the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Mombasa halted the recruitment process.
The ruling threw a spanner in the works on the process that started on May 6. The petitioner claims that the process to replace Macharia is rigged with constitutional violations as well as discriminatory criteria.
At the moment, the recruitment process would be entering the interviewing stage after the TSC publicly advertised the vacancy, inviting qualified Kenyans to apply by May 27.
There are at least five seasoned educators being considered as Macharia's possible successors. Dr Reuben Nthamburi, the deputy CEO of TSC at the moment, is one of the leading candidates.
Prof Charles Ong’ondo, who heads the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, is also seen as a strong contender due to his experience overseeing the development of the Competency-Based Curriculum. Dr Julius Jwan, a former Basic Education Principal Secretary, has also been mentioned.
Other names being discussed include Dr Lydia Nzomo, a veteran administrator and former director at the TSC, widely respected for her defence of teachers’ rights and leadership in teacher management, and Dr Simon Gicharu, the founder of Mount Kenya University.
Over the course of her ten years in charge, Macharia oversaw important changes to TSC service digitisation, teacher recruitment, professional development, and promotions.
Macharia is recognised as the first woman to lead the commission since its establishment in 1967.
