Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The South Sudan Embassy in Kenya confirms it is actively working to resolve outstanding salary payments for its staff, including Kenyan nationals who have sued the mission.
The Eastern African Daily reported on July 5 that nine Kenyan employees sued the South Sudanese government for $320,196 in unpaid salaries.
The report connected this lawsuit to South Sudan’s broader financial challenges, including delayed civil servant payments both at home and abroad.
In a July 6 statement shared with Eye Radio, the Embassy clarified that salary issues affect both Kenyan and South Sudanese staff, depending on their contracts and length of service. The Embassy also stated it began addressing these issues even before the recent media reports.
On Thursday, July 3, the new Head of Mission met with the legal representative for some Kenyan staff, joined by an affected employee.
The statement stated that during this 40-minute meeting, the Head of Mission acknowledged the arrears, explained the challenges, and assured the lawyer that a solution was underway.
The Embassy confirmed it works with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on a staggered payment plan to settle the outstanding salaries.
The Nairobi mission pledged to continue transparently and constructively engaging all parties to resolve the matter.
Embassy rejects Presidential “Bailout” claims
The Embassy also strongly denied media reports suggesting President Salva Kiir’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates aimed at securing a financial bailout. This denial comes as the Embassy faces the ongoing legal case over staff salaries.
The Eastern African Daily ran a story titled “South Sudan Seeks UAE Bailout as Economy Crashes.”
It is alleged that President Kiir made two recent trips to the UAE, including one on June 22, specifically to seek financial support due to South Sudan’s economic crisis, which the ongoing conflict in Sudan has worsened.
However, in a press statement to the Eye Radio newsroom, the South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi rejected this characterization of the President’s visit, labeling the headline “misleading.”
The Embassy clarified that President Kiir’s visit was a high-level diplomatic engagement focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation with the UAE.
“The Embassy rejects in the strongest terms the misleading title of the article and, in particular, the implication regarding the recent state visit of the President of the Republic of South Sudan to the United Arab Emirates (UAE),” the Embassy stated.
“The visit was a high-level diplomatic engagement aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation with the UAE. It was not, as implied, a plea for financial rescue.”
The Embassy stressed that portraying the visit as a plea for financial rescue misrepresented its true purpose and distorted South Sudan’s foreign policy image.
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