Leadership is not about hovering. It is not about controlling every detail. True leadership is bold. It trusts, it dares, it empowers. And in the heart of Kenya’s education system today, Evelyn Mitei, the Acting TSC CEO, deserves exactly that: space to lead, room to decide, and authority to deliver.
Too often, talented leaders are held back by politics, indecision, or fear. Too often, acting officials are treated as placeholders rather than as capable leaders with vision and skill. But strong leadership is different. Strong leadership is confident enough to let merit take the front seat. Evelyn Mitei has shown she has what it takes. It is now time for the Teachers Service Commission to allow her to prove it.
Giving Evelyn Mitei room to operate demonstrates confidence. She is not a placeholder. She is charged with leading one of the most important institutions in Kenya’s education sector, responsible for thousands of teachers and millions of students. Treating her role as temporary or undermining her authority is not cautious; it is weak. Leadership is about empowering capable hands to steer the ship. Bold decisions, innovation, and accountability cannot thrive under constant oversight. The Commission must show it trusts her judgment, her skills, and her vision. Evelyn Mitei has earned that trust.
One of the hallmarks of strong leadership is accountability. When leaders have the authority to act, they own the results. That ownership forces clarity, courage, and commitment. Weak leadership shields acting officials from responsibility; strong leadership challenges them to rise, to prove themselves, to deliver. Evelyn Mitei has demonstrated capability, discipline, and foresight. She deserves the chance to make decisions independently, to own successes and learn from challenges. Denying her that opportunity would not just undermine her, it would harm the Commission and the education sector at large.
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The Teachers Service Commission is central to Kenya’s education system. Every decision or delay reverberates through classrooms, schools, and communities. Political meddling and indecision weaken institutions and lower morale. Allowing Evelyn Mitei to lead ensures continuity and focus. It signals that the Commission values service delivery over politics, results over appearances. Stability is not a buzzword; it is the lifeblood of a functional, credible organization. A Commission that acts decisively inspires confidence in teachers, parents, and the public alike.
High-level appointments rarely exist without political scrutiny. Lobbying, influence, and pressure are part of the landscape. But true leadership refuses to bend. Giving Evelyn Mitei space to act decisively is a statement: merit matters more than influence; competence matters more than convenience. This is fearless leadership. It refuses to bend under pressure. It prioritizes outcomes over politics. It elevates the institution above external pressures. Kenya’s education sector deserves this kind of courage.
Acting roles are not placeholders; they are proving grounds. They reveal who can navigate complex challenges, inspire confidence, and drive results. Evelyn Mitei has shown judgment, vision, and competence. Now she must be allowed to exercise authority fully, so that the institution can benefit from her capabilities. Strong leadership recognises talent when it appears. It nurtures it. It empowers it. To stifle talent in the name of “temporality” is short-sighted. Evelyn Mitei is ready to step up. She deserves the chance to lead.
Entrusting a woman with a top role in public service is not symbolic, it is transformative. It sends a powerful message that leadership is about skill, vision, and integrity, not gender, seniority, or politics. It encourages other women in the sector to aspire to leadership and shows that meritocracy is real and actionable. Evelyn Mitei embodies this principle, and her leadership will set a standard for equity and excellence in Kenya’s education system.
Evelyn Mitei is not just capable, she is visionary. She has the expertise to modernize processes, improve teacher welfare, and elevate educational standards. Every reform, every policy, every initiative benefits from strong leadership. Acting CEOs can either be constrained by bureaucracy or empowered to innovate. Strong institutions choose the latter. Giving Evelyn Mitei authority is a strategic decision. It allows the Commission to deliver results efficiently, inspire confidence in teachers, and build trust across the sector. Hesitation or micromanagement, by contrast, risks stagnation, frustration, and lost opportunities.
Some may argue that acting officials are temporary and therefore unfit for bold decisions. That argument misunderstands leadership. Temporary does not mean incapable. Acting positions are testing grounds for excellence. They reveal who can navigate challenges, inspire confidence, and drive results. Evelyn Mitei has proven she has what it takes. Denying her full authority is not just a personal setback, it deprives the Commission of strong, decisive leadership at a critical moment. It deprives Kenya’s education system of a leader ready to take responsibility, innovate, and deliver.
The impact of leadership is not confined to offices or meeting rooms. Teachers respond to clarity and decisiveness. Students benefit from stability. Parents and communities trust institutions that act confidently and responsibly. By empowering Evelyn Mitei, the Commission strengthens the entire ecosystem. Leadership is felt in every classroom, every school, and every student outcome. Empowering her is a decision that reverberates across the nation. It demonstrates that the Commission values competence, integrity, and results above politics.
At its core, strong leadership is about enabling, not controlling. Allowing Evelyn Mitei to act independently is not a concession; it is a demonstration of courage, principle, and vision. It is a clear statement that results matter more than appearances, ability more than influence, and decisive action more than hesitation. Evelyn Mitei has proven she is ready. The Commission must allow her to lead. Hesitation now is costly, not just to her career, but to teachers, students, and the credibility of the institution itself.
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Denying Evelyn Mitei this opportunity would send a damaging message: that hesitation, fear, and politics outweigh merit. That capable leaders cannot be trusted. That temporary status is an excuse for indecision. Strong leadership, however, recognizes potential when it appears and gives it space to grow. Evelyn Mitei has the expertise, integrity, and vision to lead. Now is the time to act.
Evelyn Mitei deserves the chance to lead. She has demonstrated judgment, courage, and capability. Giving her space to act is not merely administrative; it is bold, decisive, and principled. It demonstrates confidence, courage, and commitment to institutional integrity. Strong leaders empower, they trust, they enable. Evelyn Mitei is ready. The Commission must step back, trust her, and allow her to steer Kenya’s education system into a future defined by competence, accountability, and vision.
Giving her this opportunity is not just leadership; it is macho leadership. It separates vision from indecision, courage from caution, and results from rhetoric. It is the leadership Kenya’s teachers, students, and education system desperately need. Evelyn Mitei is ready. The time to let her lead is now.
By Hillary Muhalya
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