The recruitment of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Secretary and Chief Executive Officer has been halted once again after the High Court issued fresh conservatory orders stopping the process pending the hearing of a constitutional petition.
In a ruling delivered on February 3, 2026, Lady Justice Dorah Chepkwony restrained the commission from implementing or continuing with the ongoing recruitment exercise, dealing a blow to the contest to appoint the 10th CEO in the history of the TSC.
The process had only resumed last Thursday after an earlier injunction that had frozen the recruitment since May last year was lifted.
“That a conservatory orders be and is hereby issued staying, suspending and restraining the 1st Respondent from implementing or continuing with the ongoing recruitment exercise of the Secretary/Chief Executive Officer,” the court ordered.
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The petition was filed by Simon Kariuki Kimaita against the State Law Office and the Teachers Service Commission, among others, challenging the legality and procedure of the recruitment process.
The position of TSC Secretary/CEO is among the most powerful in the public service, overseeing more than 400,000 teachers, managing a wage bill running into hundreds of billions of shillings and shaping key decisions on teacher recruitment, deployment, discipline and professional development.
Justice Chepkwony directed that the application be served on the respondents within seven days, with responses to be filed within a similar period.
The court further ordered that the matter be canvassed through written submissions before a highlighting session scheduled for March 5, 2026.
The latest delay comes at a critical time for the education sector, with the incoming TSC chief expected to steer the commission through staffing challenges linked to the transition to senior school, including shortages of teachers for newly introduced Grade 10 learning areas.
The court will hear the matter on an inter-partes basis before determining whether the recruitment process can proceed.
By Kithinji Njeru
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