Africa-Press – South-Sudan. President Salva Kiir on Wednesday held a meeting with Vice President for Infrastructure Taban Deng Gai, days after the latter publicly complained of being denied access to the head of state for nearly a year.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, also involved Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs Tut Gatluak Manime and focused on the status of key infrastructure projects and persistent implementation challenges nationwide.
According to the statement, Kiir “met with His Excellency Gen. Taban Deng Gai, Vice President and Chairperson of the Infrastructure Cluster, to review progress on key national infrastructure projects and assess implementation challenges.” The presidency said the discussion centred on road construction and bottlenecks affecting delivery.
The engagement comes against the backdrop of Taban Deng’s recent remarks in which he claimed he had been blocked from meeting Kiir by unnamed individuals, raising questions about internal dynamics within the presidency and the functionality of government clusters.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Kiir was briefed on several ongoing and planned road projects. Taban Deng cited key corridors, including the Pagak–Maiwut–Mathiang and Paloch routes, noting that “feasibility processes are at advanced stages and that construction is expected to commence upon completion of the required procedures.”
He also highlighted projects in the Equatoria region, including Juba–Lobonok, Juba–Yei–Kaya, and Maridi roads, describing them as part of efforts to improve regional connectivity. In Bahr el Ghazal, the vice president said multiple projects are underway but require further direction on the next phase, while additional works, such as the Wau–Raja and Burumadina roads, are in preparation.
Beyond roads, Taban Deng raised concerns about broader economic constraints, particularly the need to revive the Agricultural Bank. He argued that restoring its operations could “enhance access to financing, support agricultural productivity, and contribute to easing inflationary pressures.”
Kiir, in response, directed the vice president to strengthen coordination with relevant institutions and fast-track implementation. The statement said the president “directed the Vice President to continue coordinating closely with relevant government institutions to accelerate implementation of critical infrastructure projects and address identified bottlenecks.”
He further instructed the Infrastructure Cluster to improve its effectiveness, emphasising delivery on its mandate amid growing public concern over slow infrastructure development.
While the presidency framed the meeting as routine, its timing underscores possible efforts to ease tensions within the executive following Taban Deng’s complaints, as well as renewed pressure on the government to demonstrate progress on long-delayed infrastructure projects seen as vital to economic recovery and national connectivity.
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