Ministers in charge of East African Community (EAC) affairs investigated issues that recently caused a halt in the staff recruitment exercise and resolved it carries on within the next four weeks.

At the end of their meeting at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, Adan Mohamed, Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, told reporters on Tuesday, November 30, that they investigated allegations of unfair practice in the process and "decided that on the whole, a legitimate process was undertaken” except for one or two specific areas which were also corrected.

"And so, that recruitment exercise which had been at the interviewing stage should start in earnest, I think, within the next four weeks,” said Adan who is Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of East African Community and Regional Development.

The EAC Secretariat early this year advertised about 60 vacant positions. An extra-ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers in May approved the filling of vacant positions in various EAC organs and institutions through competitive recruitment.

In compliance with the directive , the EAC Secretariat initiated the recruitment process by advertising the vacant positions.

More than 15,000 applications were received from all the six partner states and delegates profiled and subsequently shortlisted candidates. Interviews were set to commence from October 18 to November 2 but could not commence as scheduled due to quorum.

The process hit a snag especially after some regional lawmakers alleged there were irregularities and unfair treatment of citizens from some countries.

Now, however, Adan stressed that "we will have all those positions filled by East African citizens” and that the exercise will start by inviting people who were shortlisted for interviews.

"After that, the proposals will be presented to Council for appointment…which,  we hope, will happen within the next month.”

Affirmative action for South Sudan gets nod

Adan told reporters that as is tradition regarding new members in the EAC affirmative action will be granted to South Sudan so the latter benefits the way Rwanda and Burundi did upon joining the bloc.

"We agreed yesterday (Monday) as Council that in line with a tradition of the EAC, new member states that join and do not have the same advantage in generating, say, number of applicants, we will preserve certain roles or a number or roles,” he said.

The Minister explained that they agreed that 11 positions will be available to South Sudan "over and above the five that were shortlisted in the recruitment process.”

"So, if five also succeed in the recruitment, technically, they (South Sudan) will have 11 plus the five that will have been successfully recruited.”

The Council had, on October 19, pledged to address issues that caused a standoff in the staff recruitment exercise. Around the same time, EAC Secretariat, the executive organ of the six-member regional economic community, also issued a statement stating that the bloc "is committed to providing an equal opportunity for all East Africans.”

The process of the recruitment of staff for the EAC in general is meant to fill positions that have remained vacant for some years.