The Council of Ministers for the East African Community (EAC) has given its endorsement to the appointment of a South Sudanese official as the deputy secretary-general for productive service at the regional bloc.
The decision was made during a meeting held on July 12, 2022,
where the recruitment of two officials for the positions of deputy secretary-general was
approved.
One of the positions was to be filled by a Ugandan while the other was to be filled by
a South Sudanese.
The advertised positions, which were announced in August 2021, included the roles of Deputy Secretary-General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social, and Political Sectors and Deputy Secretary-General for Customs, Trade, and Monetary Affairs.
The vacancy for the South Sudanese role arose when Christophe Bazivamo from Rwanda’s six-year term came to an end last year. The successful candidate for the position has not yet been named, but both officials are expected to be formally appointed at a summit scheduled for mid-2023.
Kenya now holds the position of Secretary-General, the departing DSG was from Rwanda, and Tanzanian Steven Mlote is the Deputy Secretary-General for Administration and Finance, so the EAC nations, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, were not eligible for the position.
Meanwhile, Annette M. Semuwemba has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Trade, Customs, and Monetary Affairs, according to Rebecca Kadaga, the Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda.