By Spy Uganda
South Sudan’s diplomatic presence in Kenya has been thrown into fresh uncertainty after its embassy in Nairobi was closed over alleged unpaid rent, leaving citizens seeking consular services unable to access the mission.
The embassy, located in Nairobi’s Kilimani neighbourhood, was reportedly shut on Tuesday, August 11, after the government fell at least four months behind on rental payments, according to an embassy staff member who spoke to Radio Tamazuj.
The staff member said the mission would remain closed until the government intervenes to settle the matter, although the exact amount owed could not immediately be independently verified.
“The embassy is currently closed. It was closed yesterday. The embassy will remain closed until the government intervenes,” the staff member said.
The closure has already affected South Sudanese nationals seeking services at the mission.
One citizen, identified as Stephen, said he had travelled to the embassy to process a travel document but found the premises closed.
He said security guards at the gate informed him that the embassy had been shut the previous day but could not provide details about the reason for the closure.
The development has raised concerns about the impact on South Sudan’s diplomatic image, particularly because the Nairobi mission is one of the country’s key diplomatic posts.
South Sudanese civil society leader Edmund Yakani called on the government to prioritise funding for its foreign missions, warning that prolonged closures could undermine the country’s diplomatic interests.
He argued that maintaining functional embassies is essential for South Sudan’s engagement with neighbouring countries and the wider international community.
The latest closure also comes at a sensitive time for the mission, just days after Ambassador Simon Juach Deng bid farewell to President Salva Kiir in Juba on August 6. Deng, who was recently appointed to head the Nairobi mission, is expected to take up his post in September.
Kiir had urged the newly appointed diplomats to uphold professionalism and remain committed to advancing South Sudan’s interests abroad.
However, the Nairobi mission has previously faced financial difficulties. In November 2025, the embassy was reportedly closed over unpaid rent before Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes Adut Salva Kiir reportedly paid three months’ rent to facilitate its reopening.
The recurring rental dispute comes as South Sudan continues to face severe fiscal and cash-flow pressures, with the country’s economy heavily dependent on oil revenues.
The ministry denied reports that South Sudan had introduced a new arrangement allowing Egyptian and Tanzanian nationals to enter visa-free while requiring Kenyan citizens to pay visa fees.
Officials said no new directive, policy decision or statutory instrument had been issued to change the existing immigration framework and urged the public and foreign missions to rely on official government communication.
The confusion was reportedly linked to a 2019 directive concerning free visas for Tanzanian citizens, which was issued in reference to the East African Community Common Market Protocol on the free movement of persons.
The ministry maintained that South Sudan’s immigration policy remains unchanged, although it did not clarify whether the 2019 directive remains operational.
