South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi Closed Over Unpaid Rent of at Least 4 Months

• The South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi's Kilimani neighbourhood shut its doors on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, over unpaid rental arrears
• A South Sudanese national named Stephen travelled to the mission to process travel documents only to be turned away at the gate by security
• Civil society leader Edmund Yakani warned the closure signals a damaging lack of commitment to foreign engagement in the region

The South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi has been forced to shut its doors after the government accumulated at least four months of unpaid rent, leaving citizens unable to access consular services and drawing sharp criticism from civil society.

A staff member at the mission, located in Nairobi's Kilimani neighbourhood, confirmed to Radio Tamazuj that the closure took effect on Tuesday, 11 August 2026.

"The embassy is currently closed. It was closed yesterday. The embassy will remain closed until the government intervenes," the staff member said.

Read also

South Sudan embassy in Nairobi closed over unpaid rent

The exact sum owed to the landlord could not be independently confirmed.

South Sudanese nationals turned away

Reports by Tuko on August 12, 2026 indicated that among those caught off guard was a South Sudanese national who identified himself as Stephen.

He had made the trip to the embassy specifically to process travel documents, only to be stopped at the entrance by security personnel.

"I went to the embassy to process some documents, like a travel document, but I found it closed," Stephen said. "The security at the gate told me that the embassy had been closed the previous day. When I asked why, he said he was not aware."

Radio Tamazuj was unable to reach Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Apuk Ayuel Mayen for comment.

South Sudanese civil society leader raises alarm

Edmund Yakani, a prominent South Sudanese civil society leader, described the closure as an embarrassment that undermines the country's standing across the region.

"The leadership of the country has to prioritise financing our foreign missions as a budget priority," Yakani said.

Read also

"I suffered": Apostle Eric Nyamekye shares how he almost died in South Africa

"The absence of functional foreign missions demonstrates a lack of appetite for foreign engagement, which is a strategic mistake in regional and global politics and undermines the pursuit of national interests," he added.

The timing of the shutdown is particularly striking. Just days before the closure, newly appointed Ambassador Simon Juach Deng had formally bid farewell to President Salva Kiir in Juba on 6 August 2026.

Deng is expected to take up his post at the Nairobi mission in September, following Kiir's call on incoming diplomats to uphold high professional standards abroad.

This is not the first time the Nairobi embassy has been shuttered over unpaid rent.

In November 2025, the mission faced an identical situation, and it was only reopened after Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes Adut Salva Kiir personally paid three months of rent on behalf of the government.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, has been grappling with a prolonged fiscal crisis rooted in its near-total dependence on oil revenues.

The Nairobi mission has historically ranked among the country's most strategically vital diplomatic outposts since independence.

Read also

Panic as helicopter carrying three Kenyan officials makes emergency landing

Mexico Embassy announces vacancy for Ghanaians

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Embassy of Mexico in Ghana advertised a job opening for an Assistant for Political, Economic, and Cultural Affairs, with the announcement shared publicly on the embassy's official Facebook page on August 6, 2026.

The diplomatic mission listed a university degree in International Relations, Political Science, Communications, Cultural Studies, Spanish, or a related discipline as a foundational requirement for applicants.

Beyond academic qualifications, the embassy specified that candidates must demonstrate strong writing and analytical abilities, alongside hands-on experience in social media management and content creation.

Source: YEN.com.gh