The Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia was put to the task by MPs over delays in the teachers’ pay deal negotiations as well as lack of recruitment of commissioners.
Reports indicate that only two commissioners have been in office since March 2020 as seven have retired. The commission is legally required to have nine members to make binding decisions on various issues.
“Can the CEO explain why she did not notify the President when she realised that the commission lacks a quorum to decide on teachers’ issues?”How have they been operating?” Education committee chairperson Florence Mutua asked Macharia.
Further, she was put to task to detail the delay in solving various contentious issues affecting the commission.
“Some of the commissioners retired in 2019, why has it taken too long to pick their replacement?” Migori women representative Pamela Odhiambo asked the TSC boss.
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TSC chairperson Lydia Nzomo retired last year when Commissioner Cleophas Tirop left in March 2019.
Commissioners Mbarak Twahir, Tache Bosa Gollo, Betreace Marembo Adu, Kinoti Manyara and Mr Albert Fred Ekirapa retired in March this year.
Macharia, however, disputed the claims that a lack of quorum affected TSC operations. She also stated that it’s not within her mandate to notify the President of the retirement of commissioners.
The news comes as the National Assembly on Wednesday, April 28, approved the appointment of Jamleck Muturi as TSC chairperson and Alfred Oyucho as commissioner.
The Commission has been on the spot over delaying the teachers’ salaries negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) deal.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion has been at the forefront threatening to take industrial action if the issue is not resolved.
“We have many options to use to ensure our concerns are addressed,” Sossion stated in a past press briefing.