Former Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Regional Director and respected education expert Ibrahim Hish Adan has raised a passionate call for the appointment of a seasoned internal candidate as the next Chief Executive Officer at the Commission.
In a detailed open letter addressed to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Board, he appeals to the Board and directors at the Commission in the wake of Dr. Nancy Njeri Macharia’s retirement and during a pivotal moment for Kenya’s education sector, particularly as the Competency-Based Education (CBE) reshapes classroom instruction nationwide.
Adan, whose 35-year tenure at the TSC witnessed him rise through the ranks to leadership in the vast northeastern region, says that succession should not be left to chance or political whims.
Instead, he advocates for a steady hand—one grounded in the Commission’s institutional memory and administrative realities.
“You don’t gamble with 400,000 teachers and 14 million learners. This is not a rehearsal,” Adan wrote bluntly.
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In his letter, Adan warned that an external appointment—no matter how academically impressive—could severely destabilise the Commission’s operations.
“An outsider might tick boxes on paper but fail to read the soul of the system,” he warned. “Our internal candidates carry more than qualifications—they carry the scars and stories of our reforms.”
He emphasised that at a time when the TSC is overseeing major initiatives such as teacher retooling for CBC, digital transformation, the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS), and the rollout of Biometric Enrolment and Validation of Teachers (BEVOT), leadership disruption would be a costly mistake.
“The CBC is not a policy—it’s a process. It needs guardians, not guests,” he noted.
“Disrupting the leadership now would be like changing a pilot mid-flight—risky and unnecessary.”
Adan also warns against political interference in the succession process arguing that appointing a politically connected figure without the benefit of internal exposure would breed distrust among teachers and reduce confidence in the Commission’s independence.
“A leader imposed by politics may sit at the helm, but they will not lead. Trust is not transferable,” he says.
“Teachers do not follow titles—they follow authenticity.”
Drawing on past transitions at the Commission, Adan points out that previous reforms succeeded due to leadership continuity.
He notes, “We didn’t build this institution overnight, and we shouldn’t break it in a day.”
“Institutional memory is not in files—it’s in people. Retain that memory.”
In his closing appeal, the former director tells TSC Board to act with courage and foresight.
“This is your legacy moment. Choose leadership that understands where we’ve been, and is ready to walk where we’re going.” Whether the TSC Board heeds this call remains to be seen. Still, the voice of one of the Commission’s most experienced veterans has made one thing abundantly clear: “We need leadership rooted in our journey—not parachuted into our future.”
By Joseph Mambili
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