South Sudanese Members of Parliament in the East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, have protested what they termed as a shrewd recruitment process into the East African Community.

They are calling for the prices to be halted if there is no guaranteed affirmative action.

The partner states chapters are set to discuss a motion concerning halting the recruitment process blamed on irregularities and corruption today.

The lawmakers claimed that they were not given special consideration which was normally given when a member state joins an institution or organ like the East African Community (EAC).

In an interview with The City Review, the South Sudan Representative to the East African Legislative Assembly Gabriel Alaak Garang, said South Sudan was not rightfully apportioned its right quota as indicated in the treaty of employment when a new member state joins EAC.

Feeling shortchanged

Garang indicated that when Rwanda and Burundi joined in 2009, they were given affirmative action but South Sudan was not given an affirmative action but there was only a promise of that after the advertisement had already passed.

 “They allowed our people to apply and when shortlisting was done, they shortlisted about 14 names and they are competing with people from other countries with those positions and mostly they are junior positions. We saw this is not right,’’ he said. 

“We would have been given affirmative action before the advertisement so that we could mobilise our people to apply for a specific number given to us, whether 15 or 20,” he added.

What transpired

The Assembly halted its activities after South Sudanese protested the recruitment process claiming that they were not guaranteed their quota in the East African Community. The Ugandan Chapter also called for the recruitment process to be halted following the call by South Sudanese to other member states to advocate for pausing recruitment.

The chairperson of the Uganda Chapter Odongo George Stephen said that it was a wise decision from the Uganda Minister of East African Affairs Rebecca Kadaga for the recruitment process to be halted.

“Our position, I think has been well articulated in the letter that has been sent to the community that is written by the Minister for EAC Affairs the Rt Honourable Rebecca Kadaga,” said Stephen.

A South Sudanese Member of Parliament in the East African Legislative Assembly, Deng Nhial Gai appreciated the move by the Ugandan Chapter in calling for a halt in the recruitment process. 

“That is a reaction because we protested and we want the whole region to know what it is that we are fighting for, we appreciate the honourable Minister Kadaga for actually listening,” said Ms Gai.

The South Sudanese request for affirmative action was replied to by the East African Community Secretariat with the promise that South Sudan’s Affirmative action would be guaranteed.

Dissatisfied

However, the South Sudanese were dissatisfied with the reply disputing it as politically based since it had not indicated the number of positions granted to South Sudanese.

“To write it at this particular moment, it has to go to the council, the council has to approve it and after all where are those positions that have not been advertised and they are being given to South Sudanese. We thought that this should have been done from the beginning of the process,” said Garang.

Ms Gai shared sentiments that there was no approval to the request from the East African Community Secretariat.

“This is not the time that it should have been done. The letter is a request by the Secretary-General to the Council of Ministers to request that South Sudan has requested affirmative action. 

“Do we have a guarantee, an ironclad approval that says these are the positions that are going to be given to South Sudan? Therefore, you enumerate them as to when and how that is going to happen,” posed Gai.

Divided

Members of the South Sudan chapter were divided with six members out of nine angling for the assembly.

The differences between the South Sudanese representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly led to the removal of Thomas Dut Gatkek from his position as the chairperson of East African Legislative Assembly, South Sudan Chapter and replaced with Dr Anne Itto. 

Itto said the replacement suited the interest of South Sudanese to fight for transparency in the recruitment process into the East African Community.

“We didn’t reach an agreement because the majority wanted to fight for a fair selection process. We put it to the vote and what happened was that I got elected as the interim chair of the chapter and we are going to take it forward, but our position on what is going on is that we will fight for justice and fairness,” she concluded.

The former Chairperson of the South Sudan chapter Thomas Dut Gatkek said he was not pleased with the division because it could tarnish the image of the country.

EAC legislative organ

The East African Legislative Assembly is the Legislative Organ of the East African Community with a total of 62, of whom 54 are elected Members (9 from each Partner State) and eight ex-officio members (the Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs from the Partner States, the Secretary-General of the Community and the Counsel to the Community).

The Assembly performs legislative functions in addition to oversight of all East African Community matters. The enactment of legislation of the Community is put in effect employing Bills passed by the Assembly and assented to by the Heads of State.

Every Bill that has been duly passed and assented to become an Act of the Community and takes precedent over similar legislations in the Partner States. EALA has to date passed 79 pieces of legislation.

East African Community was established in a treaty signed in Arusha on November 30, 1999, which after ratification was fully implemented on July 7, 2000, after which it came to existence.