New TSC chair takes office, finds full in-tray

The new Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chairperson Jamleck Muturi officially reported to work yesterday, a day after he was sworn in.

Muturi, who was appointed for a six-year non-renewable term, was approved last week having been vetted by the National Assembly’s Committee on Education.

Muturi is taking office at a time when the commission   has been facing quorum problems because it had only two commissioners out of the required nine.

The rest of the  commissioners had retired. The chairperson will also oversee negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for teachers, as the current one is coming to an end next month.

Delocalisation of teachers, a policy which has been a bone of contention between the employer and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), is another matter that Muturi will have to deal with.

“I will seek to engage all parties involved in a bid to address the contentious issues surrounding this matter,” Muturi told the committee during vetting.

Besides Muturi, Timon Oyucho was approved last week and sworn in on Monday, to serve as a member of TSC, bringing the number of commissioners to four. Five more commissioners will have to be appointed to make it a full house.