Dr. Nancy Njeri Macharia’s time at the helm of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is drawing to a close.
Macharia who announced last year that she would be exiting the commission, has already requested a terminal leave beginning in March 2024.
She is officially scheduled to retire on June 30, following the completion of her second and final five-year term as the head of the commission.
Her two five-year tenures as CEO of the Commission were characterized by numerous reforms, but also faced challenges, including several disputes with teachers.
Career
Her career started as a teacher at Kahuhia Girls’ Secondary School in Murang’a County. She was later promoted to deputy principal at Kianderi Girls’ Secondary, but she left to pursue a staffing officer position. A few years later, she was appointed Director of Teacher Management, overseeing the work of four senior deputies.
The CEO position was advertised in May 2015 drawing 69 candidates where 4 were shortlisted. After the grueling interviews, Nancy’s expertise and 30-year experience set her apart from other applicants, and she was appointed as the ninth CEO of the Commission.
Achievements
Macharia became the first woman to hold the CEO position.
During her tenure, Macharia oversaw critical initiatives, including the completion of two Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and the employment of over 100,000 teachers.
President Uhuru awarded her the Order of Grand Warrior following her contributions towards development inside and outside the teaching fraternity.
She was part of the team that led the development of the national integrated data system for TSC. Through negotiations with the World Bank, she secured funding to digitize teacher management information, aiming to address the issue of ghost workers.
She is also credited with automating teacher services, making processes more efficient for educators. Services such as Tpay (Payroll), Leave, Casualty (Entry/Exit), TPAD, EDMS, Wealth Declaration, and Pension were automated, streamlining operations and improving accessibility.
Controversial Decisions She Made
Macharia’s initial five years were marked by significant turbulence, largely due to strong opposition from teachers’ unions.
Macharia’s strongest critic was former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT)Secretary General Wilson Sossion, who accused her of undermining the dignity of teaching after she helped negotiate the contentious 2017/2021CBA for Ksh 54 billion.
Sossion described the agreement as punitive and damaging, contributing to the downfall of the union. This fallout led to the introduction of two contentious policies: Career Progression Guidelines (CPGs) and the Teacher Performance and Appraisal Development (TPAD) programme.
Introducing Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) was damaging to careers as aimed to manage and promote teachers more systematically causing employment stagnation for teachers.
TPAD, on the other hand, was intended to retrain teachers but was seen as overly demanding and punitive. It required every teacher to undergo retraining and obtain a practice certificate with a five-year validity. This meant teachers would need to renew their certificates every five years, paying Kshs 6,000 annually for retraining.
She championed the delocalization policy in 2018 that saw long serving headteachers, principals and teachers transferred to schools outside their counties.
The decision caused a significant rift within the teaching community, leading to protests as some leaders opposed the reassignment of certain head teachers to their schools. Reports of attacks on the new head teachers surfaced from Bungoma, Vihiga, Kisii, Siaya, West Pokot, and Kisumu.
The policy has since been abolished by the Kenya Kwanza government.
Macharia faced accusations of being behind the poorly executed teacher medical insurance scheme. Teachers have consistently raised concerns about the subpar medical services provided at various AON Minet hospitals.
They were subjected to long wait times, inadequate treatment, and poor customer service, leading to dissatisfaction among educators who felt the scheme was not delivering the expected healthcare benefits.
Macharia was also accused of having a hand in the death of KNUT, orchestrating Wilson Sossion’s ouster by removing him from the teachers’ register in 2020. TSC influenced members to quit the commission by offering them a payrise which saw 150,000 leave.
While her departure from the commission may come as a relief to some, there’s no denying the significant impact she has had on the teaching profession. In the coming weeks, her position will be advertised as the search for her successor begins.
