Did Uhuru appoint uneducated non-Kenyan as TSC commissioner?

TSC Appointments: Questions have emerged over the nationality and academic qualifications of a TSC nominee appointed by president Uhuru Kenyatta.

This is after the nominee, Ms Leila Abdi Ali, failed to produce her academic certificates for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education(KCPE) and Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education (KCSE).

Ms. Ali claimed that she holds an O Level certificate, which she did not produce either. Instead, she produced a photocopy of KCSE mock exams. The photocopy indicated that she had sat for the mock exams in 1996.

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She also produced what she alleged to be a degree certificate from London South Bank University. During the committee vetting that was conducted by the National Assembly’s Education Committee chaired by Julius Melly (Tinderet), Ms. Ali encountered difficulties explaining her nationality.

She said that while she was born in Somalia, she holds a Kenyan and United Kingdom dual citizenship. She said that she was brought up in Kajiado County. ““I was born in Mogadishu but I studied in Kenya in Oloitoktok. I see myself as a Kenyan,” said Ms. Ali.

It was also noted that she did not have the ten year experience that is required for one to work as a commissioner at the Teachers Service Commission.

Apart from the controversial TSC appointments President Uhuru has recently made similar controversial appointments that have left critics questioning his appointment criteria. Last year, the president appointment former Othaya MP Mary Wambui into a parastatal position even though she did not have the requisite experience and academic qualifications. President Uhuru was also the appointing authority behind the controversial appointment of embattled former cabinet secretary Rashid Echesa who did not have proper academic qualifications.