South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit (Courtesy:CNN)
Juba, March 15, 2026
Savanna Radio News Bulletin
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has removed 20 senior officials in Central Equatoria State and named their replacements in a sweeping political shake-up announced from Juba, the capital. The changes, read out in a series of presidential decrees on state media, mark one of the most extensive restructurings of the state government since the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity.
According to the decrees, the relieved officials include state ministers, county commissioners, advisers, and directors within key sectors such as finance, local government, infrastructure, and social services. In their place, President Kiir has appointed a new slate of SPLM-aligned cadres and allied figures to assume responsibility for managing Central Equatoria’s security and administration. No official reasons were given for the mass dismissals and appointments, in keeping with the presidency’s usual practice.
Reported by Sudans Post, among those relieved of their duties are state advisors Valentino Kenyi, who served as Advisor on Human Rights, and John Yona, Advisor on Economic Affairs. Many ministers were also removed from their positions. They include Lupai Satimon Andrew, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Jacob Aligo Lo-Ladu, Minister of Peace Building; Taban Emmanuel Baya, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs; Salah Rajab Bunduki, Minister for Finance, Planning and Investment; Nejuwa Mursal Juma, Minister of Health; and Clement Maring Samuel, Minister of Roads and Bridges.
Others affected by the reshuffle are Peter Lujo Yospeta, Minister of Cooperatives; Rita Dominic, Minister for Culture, Youth and Sports; Zendiya Eluzai Abu, Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare; David Morobe Aquillino, Minister of Housing, Lands and Public Utilities; Stephen Onesimo Lado, Minister of Trade and Industry; Cirisio Zakaria Ladu, Minister of Education and General Instructions; and Huda Micha Laila, Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development.
Analysts say the move appears aimed at tightening the president’s control over the country’s politically strategic central region, which hosts the national capital Juba and has been grappling with insecurity, land disputes, and tensions within the ruling coalition. The reshuffle may also reflect ongoing internal power struggles within the SPLM and efforts to sideline figures seen as either underperforming or politically disloyal.
The abrupt changes have prompted mixed reactions among residents and political observers in Central Equatoria. Some welcome the shake-up as an opportunity to inject new energy into state institutions long criticized for corruption and poor service delivery, while others fear that frequent dismissals without accountability or clear criteria further weaken governance and undermine public confidence. Civil society actors are calling on the newly appointed officials to prioritize security, service delivery, and the protection of civilians’ rights.
The reorganization in Central Equatoria comes amid a broader pattern of frequent presidential decrees removing and appointing officials at national and state levels. With the country still struggling to fully implement key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement and heading into a sensitive political period, observers say the latest changes will be closely watched for their impact on stability, power-sharing, and the balance of influence within South Sudan’s ruling elite.
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