EAC leaders to meet over Mathuki's removal

Arusha. The East African Community (EAC) leaders will meet on April 15th to discuss the imminent exit of Peter Mathuki as secretary general.

The extraordinary Summit of Heads of State will be held virtually, impeccable sources told The Citizen. 

The summit has been convened by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the current chairperson of the eight-nation EAC bloc. 

Dr Mathuki, a Kenyan national, is set to vacate the position after receiving a withdrawal notice as the secretary general from the Kenyan government. 

The outgoing SG has been at the helm of the EAC as its chief executive since February 2021, following his nomination by Kenya and appointment by the EAC summit.

The forthcoming meeting of the regional leaders will be preceded by the EAC Council of Ministers session to be held on the same day. 

The South Sudan leader took over as EAC Chairperson in November last year during an ordinary summit held in Arusha. 

A communication from South Sudan's Ministry of EAC Affairs said the April 15th summit will consider the appointment of the new SG. 

The Kenyan government has nominated Ms Caroline Mwenda Mueke as the new EAC boss to replace the outgoing Mathuki. 

According to the EAC Treaty, the SG is appointed by the Heads of State Summit after being nominated by the government of his/her country.

The SG, who is the CEO and chief accounting officer of the community, would serve for a five-year, non-renewable term.

Dr Mathuki would exit the regional organisation after serving for close to three years, with two years remaining to end his tenure.

He would be the first SG in the history of the community to vacate the post before the end of the five-year tenure. 

The imminent exit of the Kenyan politician from the EAC began on March 8th, 2024, when President William Ruto nominated him as Kenya's ambassador to Russia.

The same day, President Ruto's State House announced that Ms Mwende-Mueke had been nominated to replace Dr Mathuki as the new SG to serve for the remaining two years left by the latter.

His deployment to Moscow coincided with allegations levelled against him and the secretariat over some unaccounted $6 million from the EAC kitty.

According to Dennis Namara, an Eala MP from Uganda, the said money ($6m) had been spent without being appropriated through the regional Parliament as per laid-down procedures.

However, the EAC secretariat, the executive organ of the community, has vehemently rubbished the claims, saying they were "unfounded and malicious."

"We would like East Africans and all our stakeholders to remain confident about the status of the community,"  the statement pointed out.

The secretariat stated that the EAC operates in a structured manner where there are "proper checks and balances" in all its operations.