A crucial East African Community (EAC) Council of Ministers meeting that was expected to resolve the severe staffing shortage at the regional bloc’s Secretariat has been postponed following a formal request by Burundi.
The meeting, which was initially scheduled for October 3, was meant to address the termination of short-term contracts, discuss new recruitment plans, and consider the reinstatement of some staff.
However, the session has now been pushed to October 13 after Burundi’s Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Cooperation Minister Edouard Bizimana asked for a reschedule.
The delay has also affected quorum, making it impossible for discussions to continue.
“I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 25, pertaining to the above-captioned subject matter,” Bizimana wrote to EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva in a letter dated September 26.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, I will not be able to attend the ministerial session on the proposed date and kindly request your office to reschedule the meeting in line with the Eala session scheduled to begin on October 13,” he added.
The rescheduled session is a continuation of the 58th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council, which had not been concluded earlier. The Council was expected to make crucial decisions on staffing matters but could not proceed without full participation of partner states.
In a letter dated September 25, Nduva had called on member states to reconvene in Arusha on October 3 to discuss the roadmap for recruiting staff in critical areas.
The letter was addressed to Council Chairperson Beatrice Eskul, who is also Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the East African Community, and copied to ministers from Uganda, Somalia, DRC, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania.
“You would recall that the ministerial session of the 58th Extraordinary Meeting of Council was not concluded. Consequently, no decisions have been made on these matters, as required by the Council’s Rules of Procedure,” Nduva wrote.
The EAC Secretariat is currently facing a serious shortage of personnel. Out of 420 positions, 152 remain vacant, while 33 more staff members are expected to leave by the end of 2025.
In September alone, more than 40 short-term staff left after the Council failed to reach a decision on whether their contracts would be extended beyond June 2025.
The staffing crisis has raised concerns within the bloc, with the Secretariat struggling to maintain essential functions as it awaits guidance from partner states.
The upcoming meeting on October 13 will now be expected to chart the way forward on how to fill the existing vacancies and ensure operations continue smoothly.