The Office of the Auditor General of Somalia has opposed the application of the open competitive recruitment process for government jobs to its own office, stating that doing so infringes upon the institution’s constitutional independence.
The National Civil Service Commission has recently been implementing a directive from the Prime Minister of Somalia requiring government positions to be filled through an open competitive process.
However, the Office of the Auditor General has stated that this process cannot be applied in a manner that conflicts with the legal framework and the institution’s independence.
The Office maintains that it is an independent constitutional body—possessing both administrative and financial autonomy—established under Article 177 of the Federal Constitution of Somalia.
According to the Office of the Auditor General, the institution’s powers, duties, and functions are specifically defined in the Public Financial Management Law (No. 17 of 2019) and the Office of the Auditor General Law (No. 14 of 2023).
The Office stated that its opposition to the Civil Service Commission’s move stems from the requirement that decisions and procedures regarding its staff be based on laws specific to the institution, given its constitutional independence. He also cited Article 63, Paragraph 2, of the Regulations for the Government System Law (Decree No. 174 of February 15, 2025), which stipulates that independent constitutional commissions and offices are governed by constitutional principles and the provisions set forth in their specific regulations.
The Auditor General therefore stated that the National Civil Service Commission is obliged to respect the Office’s constitutional independence and must not take any action that undermines or restricts its powers.
Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre recently directed all ministers and other government officials to fully and immediately implement a recruitment and appointment process based on merit and competence.
The Auditor General opposes the open competitive process for government jobs.
