News Concerns over Political Influence in Civil Service Dominate GGA Forum Discussion
By Sara Solomon
April 18, 2026
Concerns over political influence within Ethiopia’s civil service took center stage at a forum organized by the Good Governance Africa–Horn of Africa (GGA) in Addis Ababa, part of a series of three discussions focused on the upcoming national elections.
The first session, held on April 16, 2026, under the theme “The Role of the Civil Service Sector in Advancing Good Governance in Ethiopia,” brought together representatives from the Prosperity Party (PP), Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), and Freedom and Equality Party (FEP) to assess the state of institutional neutrality and present their respective positions.
Civil Service Commission chief and ruling party representative Mekuria Haile (PhD) acknowledged existing challenges in the sector but attributed them largely to structural and capacity-related limitations. He identified a skills gap among civil servants, weak work culture, and the government’s limited capacity to offer competitive salaries as key constraints.
Mekuria noted that efforts are underway to improve service delivery, highlighting the Mesob One-Stop Service Center as a successful initiative. He added that the government plans to expand access to such services through additional branches.
Kemal Seid of the FEP, however, argued that the civil service lacks institutional neutrality and is significantly shaped by political considerations. He stated that promotions, benefits, and overall structure within the sector are influenced by political affiliation, undermining effective service delivery. He acknowledged that digitalization efforts, including the Mesob One-Stop initiative, are a positive step, but noted that usage remains limited due to the small number of available branches.
Rahel Bafe (PhD), chairperson of the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party, linked these concerns to broader governance challenges. She argued that the growing number of political parties reflects systemic governance shortcomings and criticized ongoing civil service reforms as destabilizing. According to Rahel, frequent restructuring has prevented professionals from developing practical experience and institutional continuity. She further alleged that recruitment, training, and appointments are driven by political loyalty rather than merit or inclusiveness.
Rahel also claimed that corruption has become institutionalized, stating that “corruption is now considered a right and is conducted officially, with transactions increasingly occurring through formal financial systems.”
She added that basic public services such as electricity and water are being delivered at costs that many citizens cannot afford, despite being locally produced.
Participants from civil society organizations, research institutions, and higher education institutions echoed concerns about political interference, emphasizing the need to strengthen institutional independence.
Yohannes Kidane of Pioneers of Change Africa warned that the sector is at risk due to entrenched corruption, the dominance of ruling party affiliates within institutions, and declining professionalism. He stressed that the civil service remains a determining factor in a country’s development and called for reforms that ensure integrity, competence, and independence from political pressure.
India Shafi from the Ethiopian Political Parties Joint Council questioned whether genuine political neutrality is possible in a system where the distinction between the ruling party and the government is unclear. She noted that civil servants affiliated with opposition parties often feel unable to openly express their support, citing fear of repercussions. In contrast, she claimed that those aligned with the ruling party tend to receive greater access to promotions and educational opportunities.
Responding to concerns raised during the discussion, Mekuria pointed to a new proclamation aimed at addressing political influence within the civil service. He said both the government and the ruling party recognize the need for reform, adding that the updated legal framework emphasizes the importance of a free, fair, and independent civil service. He also cautioned that prohibiting civil servants from political party membership could adversely affect both ruling and opposition parties.
On corruption, Mekuria described it as a shared responsibility between the government and society, stating that petty corruption is more prevalent while large-scale corruption remains limited.
Addressing concerns over low salaries, he noted that the government has allocated over 290 billion Birr within the last two years for salary increases. However, he clarified that adjustments made over the past two years were primarily aimed at offsetting inflation rather than significantly improving real income levels.