The Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), Dr Peter Mathuki, has said the regional bloc is embarking on strengthening regional integration in 2022.
In his New Year’s message shared on the EAC website, Mathuki said the community plans to focus on Intra-EAC trade, easing regional mobility of persons, goods and services, widening of markets and promoting peace and security.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“A new year offers us a new chapter to hit the reset button, craft a new course for our prosperity and build back better. Despite a challenging and tumultuous 2021, we remained resilient and committed in our quest to widen and deepen economic, political, social and cultural integration in order to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa,” he said.
“Our core focus in 2022 will be to continue deepening regional integration to ensure enhanced Intra-EAC trade, ease regional movement of persons, services and goods, widening markets, promoting peace and security for a strengthened bloc.”
He called on the partner states to ensure observance of safety measures to limit the effects of the Omicron variant.
“With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases occasioned by the new Omicron variant, I urge you all to remain vigilant and protect yourselves and those around you. Together, we shall defeat the virus together,” he said.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“The EAC deeply appreciates all our partners and stakeholders for the dedication to the regional integration agenda and look forward to your continued cooperation and synergy as we welcome the New Year. It is my hope and prayer that 2022 will be a more bountiful year especially with the anticipated entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo into the EAC family.”
EAC jobs
Jobs in the East African Community (EAC) have been contentious with South Sudan pushing for affirmative action and a joint call for the suspension of recruitment citing irregularities in the process of recruitment.
South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi accused Kenya and Tanzania of robbing them of opportunities and therefore, termed the community as marginalising.
Late last month, the EAC Secretariat shortlisted 290 candidates for the regional jobs with 64 Kenyan candidates, 52 Ugandan candidates, 77 candidates Tanzanian candidates, 52 candidates from Rwanda, and 33 from Burundi and 12 South Sudanese.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});The candidates will be interviewed through a video conferencing system in the ministries representing the EAC in partner states from January 17, 2022, to February 2, 2022.
The successful candidates would fill the 2021 EAC third panel, 2022 EAC second panel and the 2021 EACJ first panel.
“The interviews will be conducted through Video Conferencing System. The shortlisted candidates are required to go to the Ministry Responsible for EAC Affairs in their respective Capitals with their original Certificates. The time of the interviews will be communicated to the candidates individually,” read the statement.
The 12 South Sudanese are set to compete in the job categories of the deputy registrar of EACJ, court administrator of EACJ, personal assistant to judge president of EACJ, principal administrative officer, senior budget officer, procurement specialist, project coordinator and legal officer.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});However, no South Sudanese will compete in the key job categories of executive secretaries and director generals.
The council of ministers in charge of the EAC affairs in partner states in November resolved to allot 11 positions to South Sudan as her affirmative action.
This was welcomed by South Sudan’s Minister for East African Community Affairs, Deng Alor Kuol during the EAC summit of the Heads of States despite refusal by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), however, details of the affirmative action remain scanty.
The summit moreover approved Congo to be admitted as the seventh member of the regional bloc, as the Council of Ministers was directed to expedite the negotiations with DRC for her admission so that it would be reported in the forthcoming summit of the EAC Heads of States.