Dr Nancy Macharia, the former head of Kenya’s Teachers Service Commission (TSC), has declined a county-level appointment just days before she was due to face vetting.
In a letter dated 25 June and addressed to Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, Dr Macharia thanked him for nominating her to lead the County Public Service Board, but explained she had received an offer elsewhere—this time from outside Kenya.
“I hereby thank you for nominating me… however, I decline the post as I have received another offer from an international body, which, in my opinion, could affect my performance in the said role,” she wrote.
Macharia added that she had initially assumed the county role might be part-time. But after further reflection, she realised it would demand a full-time commitment.
Her decision was made public just a day before her scheduled vetting on Friday.
Governor Kang’ata had put forward Dr Macharia’s name for the position of Chairperson, alongside four others nominated to serve on the county board. They include Dr Louis Mwende Musikali, Johnson Kang’ethe Kinyua, and Dr Brian Lishenga Makamu. Oscar Kimani Gathura had been tapped for Secretary to the Board.
Macharia’s nomination came at the tail end of her decade-long tenure at the helm of the TSC, which is officially set to conclude on 30 June 2025. During her time at the TSC, she was widely regarded as a tough but steady hand-steering the commission through education reforms and several rounds of teacher strikes.
While Dr Macharia did not name the international organisation that had extended her a new offer, sources close to the matter said it was a “significant opportunity” in global education policy. The exact details remain undisclosed.
There has been no official comment from Governor Kang’ata’s office regarding her withdrawal. However, political observers in Murang’a see her exit as a blow to the county’s leadership ambitions, given her national stature and administrative experience.
With her decision now public, the county is expected to return to the drawing board to identify a new candidate for the influential position.
