Exclusive: Africa CDC deputy resigns after bar on applying for own job

The acting deputy director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, is resigning from his role at the end of the month. On Tuesday, Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya wrote to staff members in an internal email that Ouma would resign at the end of March, referring to his tenure at the organization as “nothing short of remarkable.” “His contributions have been instrumental in navigating our young organization through unprecedented times, from managing the COVID-19 challenges to laying the foundations of the continental Public Health agency leading health in Africa in line with our new mandate,” he wrote. This comes amid a year of transition in leadership for the pan-African public health agency — as the organization’s structure evolves from a specialized technical institute of the African Union to a public health agency — a move that gives it greater autonomy. These structural changes have been accompanied by top leadership changes — but Ouma was disqualified from applying for the deputy role he has served in for several years due to his country of birth, Kenya. In late December, Kaseya tweeted a job posting for the position of deputy director-general, saying that the candidate “must be” from one of the 32 African countries listed due to AU quotas to ensure geographical balance around recruitment. The list didn’t include Kenya. However, the actual job posting for the position in September said candidates from these 32 countries are “strongly encouraged to apply.” Last April, Kaseya took over the helm of the organization. He is the first “director-general” of the agency — giving him more power than the previous leader, Dr. John Nkengasong, who was the organization’s “director.” The changes in the leadership titles and levels of power is part of Africa CDC’s evolution to become more autonomous. There’s been a recruitment process for a deputy director-general since last September. In Kaseya’s email, he noted that Ouma has offered his support to help the incoming deputy director-general in transitioning into the role. Ouma joined a recently established Africa CDC in 2019 to serve as the organization’s first deputy director. He served as the organization's second in command as Africa CDC rose in prominence due to its effective leadership in helping the continent navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. When its inaugural leader, Nkengasong, left the organization to head the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief in mid-2022, Ouma served as the acting director of the organization for nearly a year, until Kaseya took over — at which point Ouma took over the role of acting deputy director-general. Ouma had also applied for the role of director-general. Before taking on the role at Africa CDC, Ouma served as deputy head for the secretariat for the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Geneva, led the African continent on negotiations around WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and represented Kenya during the crafting of the International Health Regulations, among other roles. Beyond top leadership roles, the organization has been on a hiring spree in recent months, filling a host of positions — following African leaders granting it the ability to expand its staff size last July. A spokesperson for Africa CDC told Devex that Ouma was offered another position within the organization but he decided to pursue other opportunities outside the organization. "Dr Ahmed's departure from the Africa CDC was a standard move, similar to any other staff who may opt to resign from any position. He is leaving in good faith, and has committed to remaining close to the Africa CDC to support the institution's agenda. Additionally, Dr Ahmed is a recognised pioneer of the Africa CDC and will continue to be celebrated like other Africa CDC pioneers," the spokesperson wrote. In an email sent to his colleagues at Africa CDC and the African Union on Tuesday, Ouma said he was leaving “because it is time [to] contribute to global health from a different place and perspective.” Update, March 5, 2024: This article has been updated to include commentary from an Africa CDC spokesperson and an email Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma sent to his colleagues.