Citizens seek to block EAC job recruitment over irregularities
A man browses through the East African Community jobs portal yesterday. PHOTO | KELVIN ATUHAIRE
What you need to know:
- They say the secretary general and the officials at the EAC secretariat must be excluded from the recruitment of staff, and for a credible system to be put in place to ensure equity and fairness.
A section of citizens from the East African Community (EAC) have petitioned the Council of Ministers, the central decision making and governing organ, seeking to block the ongoing recruitment process at the regional body, citing gross irregularities.
The July 24 petition accuses officials at the body of malpractice such as soliciting bribes from applicants, shredding applications, leaking interview questions, communicating wrong dates to some shortlisted candidates, altering marks to favour others, among others.
On July 9, the office of the Secretary General at the EAC issued an advert for interested persons to fill positions at the different organs and institutions.
There are 41 open jobs listed on the EAC website, including the East African Legislative Assembly clerk and the deputy, among others.
This newspaper has also learnt that a number of offices remain vacant after the expiry of contracts last year, which has affected the operations at the headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
“There are a number of established positions with budgetary provisions within the EAC organs and institutions that are vacant and require urgent recruitment to ensure seamless operations of the community. Filling of these critical positions is now necessary to avert the staffing crisis in the organs and institutions,” a February 13 letter from the secretary general’s office, reads in part.
The petitioners now want this process halted until the issues surrounding the subject are addressed.
They say the secretary general and the officials at the EAC secretariat must be excluded from the recruitment of staff, and for a credible system to be put in place to ensure equity and fairness.
“Equity, transparency, fairness and justice can be guaranteed if and when a neutral, representative and competent team/panel is put in place to manage the entire recruitment process from advertising, receipt of application, shortlisting, interviewing and selection of candidates,” the petition states.
The petition also proposes the renewal of the ad hoc committee on annual basis, arguing it had reduced the complaints.
However, the office challenged the legality of the commission, claiming it is not in line with the laws governing the EAC.
The aggrieved citizens also want the council to make a pronouncement on the matter.
The ad hoc service commission was established in 2015 by a policy decision of the council, and according to the petitioners, it had reduced the irregularities.
Mr Liberat Mfumukeko, the secretary general, declined to comment on the matter.
