Kenya's Teachers Service Commission denies online claims of new chief executive

IN SHORT: Some Facebook posts falsely claim that Ibrahim Gedi is the acting CEO of Kenya's Teachers Service Commission. While change is afoot at the commission, long-time CEO Nancy Macharia remains and is starting her final leave in March 2025.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) registers, recruits, deploys, promotes and disciplines teachers in Kenya's public schools.

As Kenya's largest public sector employer, leadership changes at the TSC are closely watched.

In this context, a Facebook post claims that Ibrahim Gedi has been appointed the agency's acting chief executive officer following Nancy Macharia's retirement.

The post, dated 21 February 2025, reads: "TSC CEO Nancy Macharia retires. Ibrahim Gedi is the acting CEO."

Macharia took over from Gabriel Lengoiboni, who retired on 30 June 2015. She was reappointed in 2020. She will begin her terminal leave in March and complete her decade-long tenure at the TSC in June 2025.

Gedi is the TSC's director of administrative services.

The same claim about changes at the helm has been made here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)

But is this information correct? We checked.

Macharia set to retire in June

Reputable news outlets would have covered Macharia's departure and replacement extensively. However, the only news we could find was of her terminal leave and impending retirement in June.

According to the secretariat section of the TSC website, Macharia remains the commission's secretary and CEO, and Gedi is the director of administrative services.

The TSC also dismissed the claim through its official verified Facebook and X accounts, which posted similar claims stamped "FAKE".

"Beware of fake news," the commission wrote.

More posts have been published here, here, here, here, here and here.