East African Community Lifts Recruitment Freeze, Clears 69 Priority Posts

The East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers has lifted a moratorium on recruitment in the bloc’s organs and institutions, paving the way for the hiring of staff to fill 69 priority positions from the 2026/2027 financial year.

• The decision was reached during a meeting of the Council in Mombasa, Kenya, from August 18 to 21, convened to resolve urgent staffing gaps that have affected the operations of EAC organs and institutions.
• The Council directed the EAC Secretariat to advertise the 69 priority positions across all Partner States and begin the recruitment process without further delay.
• It also approved the use of an electronic recruitment system and endorsed job descriptions validated by experts from the Partner States.

The measures are aimed at ensuring continuity in the bloc’s operations while strengthening its institutional capacity to deliver on its mandate.

The Council further appointed Pascaline Balisanga Nyiramutuzo of Rwanda as executive director of the East African Community Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA) for a three-year term.

The staffing decisions come as the EAC moves to implement its 7th Development Strategy, which was launched by the Summit of EAC Heads of State in March.

The Council said the phased recruitment programme would help strengthen the capacity of the Community’s organs and institutions and enable them to effectively implement the bloc’s development priorities.

The meeting brought together ministers and cabinet secretaries, principal, permanent and under secretaries and other delegates from the Partner States, alongside the EAC Secretary-General and officials from the Community’s organs and institutions.