DP Kindiki resolves MoE, TSC turf wars

The government through the Office of the Deputy President has now resolved the long running battles of supremacy between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

This is after the Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki oversaw the signing of the framework for engagement between the two parties, MoE and TSC, for the harmonization of their respective constitutional roles for more efficient service delivery in the education sector at his official residence in Karen.

The ceremony brought together Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, TSC Chairman Dr. Jamleck Muturi John, TSC Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Nancy Macharia and other senior Government officials.

The framework agreement which was signed on May 15, 2025 outlines the key areas of collaboration, communication, and shared responsibility between the two bodies, which are crucial for the smooth functioning of the education system.

ALSO READ:

MoE to pilot new education data system in July to replace NEMIS

The agreement articulates the shared vision and objectives of the MOE and TSC regarding education in Kenya, and defines specific roles and responsibilities of each institution, ensuring that they are aligned in order to avoid any duplication of efforts.

It also outline mechanisms for effective communication and collaboration between the MOE and TSC, including regular meetings, joint initiatives, and information sharing, further specifying how the two parties will work together to implement educational policies and programs effectively.
The agreement also addresses teacher training, professional development, and career advancement within the TSC, resource allocation and funding between the two bodies, and mechanism for dispute resolution.

The agreement will now go a long way in not only solving the bad blood that had existed between MoE and TSC, but also crucial in setting the stage for a collaborative and efficient approach to education policy and implementation, which will also go a long way in benefiting the country’s education system.

The supremacy battles have affected implementation of key reforms, with the wars escalating even further after the release of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) report.
At one point, TSC withdrew its staff from two committees in the PWPER which clearly exposed the soft underbelly of the gruesome fight for control of teachers after the reforms team transferred the function to the Ministry of Education (MoE).

ALSO READ:

Moi University to lay off 800 staff amid financial crisis

It is curious to see two major educational institutions on loggerheads over a matter of assignment from none other than the presidency, apparently raising serious questions of insubordination and neglect of duty.

In what appeared to be a direct declaration of war with MoE, TSC pulled out its representatives from the Legal and Sessional Paper committees, two crucial teams formed by the then Education CS Ezekiel Machogu to draw a roadmap towards the implementation of the PWPER recommendations.

Also in the report, the Prof. Raphael Munavu-led Committee recommended that the quality assurance and standard functions be moved from TSC to MoE since it was a duplication of functions, which also saw TSC make calculated move of renaming its quality assurance and standard directorate to teacher professional development.

By Our Reporter