- Employees at the South Sudan embassy in Nairobi detailed the reasons for the closure of the buildings
- The executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation weighed in on the incident and urged President Salva Kiir to act
- The development came just months after the South Sudanese government explained its plans to downsize employees at embassies
Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features in digital and print media.
The South Sudanese embassy in Nairobi has been closed after failing to pay rent for nearly a year, embassy staff confirmed.
Source: Twitter
The landlord locked the premises on Friday, November 7, citing long-standing arrears that have accumulated over several months.
How long has South Sudan failed to pay rent?
According to embassy employees who spoke to Radio Tamazuj, the diplomatic mission has not paid its monthly rent for close to a year.
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The closure has effectively halted embassy operations, with staff indicating that the premises will remain inaccessible until the South Sudanese government in Juba intervenes to resolve the issue.
“The embassy has been unable to pay rent for nearly a year, and the monthly rent is about KSh 1.2 million,” a staff member said.
The incident has sparked concern among civil society leaders, who view the closure as a significant diplomatic setback.
Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), described the situation as ‘disturbing, discouraging, and embarrassing,’ particularly given South Sudan’s current political climate.
Yakani urged President Salva Kiir and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act swiftly to address the issue and restore the embassy’s operations, emphasising the importance of regional diplomacy during a period of internal instability.
“The status of our embassy’s rental fee is alarming,” Yakani said. “Kenya is a strategic country for South Sudan, and maintaining a functional and influential diplomatic presence there is critical.”
Did South Sudan plan to downsize staff?
This incident occurs just two months after President Salva Kiir directed a downsizing of embassy and consulate staff worldwide to reduce the cost of maintaining foreign missions.
“This is an internal administrative measure. His Excellency the President instructed us to reduce the financial burden of our foreign missions. The ministry is currently developing a strategy to implement the downsizing plan,” said Foreign Affairs official said.
Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, South Sudan’s ambassador to Kenya, Anthony Louis Kon, is currently in Juba, further complicating efforts to resolve the embassy’s closure.
Why did US Nairobi embassy suspend operations?
Elsewhere, about a month ago, the US embassy in Nairobi announced a partial suspension of its operations due to the ongoing shutdown of the United States federal government.
According to embassy officials, the mission will continue operating in a limited capacity until Congress reaches a funding agreement to fully restore its services.
While essential functions such as security and emergency assistance remain active, non-critical operations, including public engagement through social media, have been temporarily halted.
The decision followed a political deadlock in Washington, where both Republican- and Democratic-sponsored funding proposals failed to pass in the Senate, prolonging the budget impasse and affecting federal agencies worldwide.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
