Benjamin Sogomo, the former TSC CEO, had filed a petition in court seeking the government’s approval for Grade 9 and junior teachers to join senior schools.
The proposal sought to split junior school, retaining grades 7 and 8 in primary schools.
He was born in 1958 in Baringo County.
From 1998 to 2003, Benjamin served as the former Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
In addition, he has also served as the chairman of the Ermining Technical Training Institute Board of Governors, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Cooperative Development and Marketing, and Managing Director of the Horticultural Crops Development Authority (HCDA) and the Sports Stadium Management Board.
Educational Background of Former TSC CEO
He has a Master of Education from Bristol University in the UK and a Bachelor of Education from Nairobi University.
Sogomo also has a Certificate in Science and Mathematics Education from Hiroshima University in Japan.
Family Background
There is no public information about his family.
Career Background
Sogomo served as the Chairman of the Ermining Technical Training Institute Board of Governors.
He was the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Cooperative Development and Marketing.
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From 1998 to 2003, he became the Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Elsewhere, he was the Managing Director of the Horticultural Crops Development Authority (HCDA) and the Sports Stadium Management Board.
He was the former Vice President of the International Bureau of Education based in Switzerland.
Benjamin’s Leadership as TSC Secretary and CEO
A slightly older generation will still remember Benjamin Sogomo, who served as Teachers Service Commission Secretary from 1998 to 2003, a period marked by financial strain, policy reform, and national tragedy.
Managing over 200,000 teachers, he faced one of the most pressing challenges of his era: demands to retrench more than 66,000 educators to cut costs, but he resisted.
The former TSC CEO argued that the problem was not teacher numbers but poor deployment, and commissioned a staffing study by Dr. Ian Holiday.
However, the findings confirmed his view, prompting a massive nationwide reshuffle that moved teachers from overstaffed schools to underserved ones. This bold decision preserved thousands of jobs while improving equity in education access.
Also Read: TSC Seeks Private Insurance for Its Staff After Moving All Teachers to SHA
Sogomo’s tenure was also shaped by the 1998 Nairobi bomb blast, which damaged TSC’s Cooperative Bank House offices.
Although Sogomo was away, his deputy, Dr. Lydia Nzomo, was in a meeting when the explosion struck. He kept the Commission running, ensured staff safety, and oversaw recovery, demonstrating calm crisis leadership.
Sogomo controversially stripped underperforming District Education Officers of TSC’s delegated powers, signaling his belief that teacher management required competence and integrity.
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That suggest he wants 844 back. There was a reason for creating the three-year middle level called junior. It’s for exposing the learner to various learning areas until the talents and interests are identified. Please let’s give a chance to the new system. 8-4-4 was mutilated severally in that way until the initial intentions were lost.
Tonui is an educationist working at TSC.