Hiring of new EAC staff put off to 2022

Arusha. Recruitment of new staff of the East African Community (EAC) which was recently put to a halt resumes next year.

This is as the regional organization hinted it would probe allegations of favouritism to some shortlisted candidates.

“Interviews of those shortlisted will start in the next four weeks,” affirmed Kenya Cabinet secretary for EAC Affairs Adam Mohamed.

He said the vacant positions at the EAC organs and institutions have to be filled, making it necessary for the recruitment to be fast-tracked.

Mr Mohamed said the EAC Council of Ministers decided that the process which was suspended on October 14th should go ahead.

The powerful policy organ of the EAC ended its tense meeting which saw the partner states divided on the issue on Monday night.

The Kenyan Cabinet secretary who doubles as the Chair of Council of Ministers insisted interviews for shortlisted candidates would start “in the next four weeks.”

He admitted the process had been mired by controversy as some countries appeared to campaign for their nationals for the key posts.

On October 14, 2021, the EAC secretariat suspended interviews of 311 candidates shortlisted for the 63 job slots.

The executive arm of the Community did not give reasons for the move but followed protests by some countries on the way the exercise was undertaken.

The interviews of those shortlisted - 48 from Tanzania - were to take place at the capitals of the six partner states unlike in the past.

Mr Mohamed said although the recruitment is undertaken on merit, there would be a deliberate measure to open more slots for South Sudan nationals. He cited 15 posts for the professional staff of which 11 which would be reserved for short-listed applicants from South Sudan.

South Sudan is the newest member of the EAC. It joined the bloc in 2016, and had none of its nationals in the ranks of the 400 EAC workforce.

That is with the exception of nine members of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) and one Judge at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).

“An affirmative action would be taken to recruit more nationals from South Sudan,” he told journalists at the EAC headquarters.

He added that the appointment for the position of Clerk of Eala would be delayed although an interview has been concluded.

A Tanzanian national had been proposed for the post after scoring higher at an interview which took place on September 27-128th.

Said Othman Yakub, who worked with the National Assembly in Dodoma, defeated a Uganda candidate fronted for the same post but could not be confirmed.

He played down fears of a rift among EAC members on the issue, only saying the appointment would await “conclusion of wider recruitment”.