Nairobi, Kenya — Wednesday, October 29, 2025: The Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in Kenya has been shut down after failing to pay rent for several months, forcing staff out of the building located in Kilimani, Nairobi.
According to embassy officials who spoke to Radio Tamazuj, the landlord locked the premises on Friday, November 7, over accumulated arrears. The embassy reportedly owes close to Ksh 1.2 million per month in rent, which has not been settled for nearly a year.
“The landlord came on Friday and locked the embassy buildings. So the embassy will remain closed until the government in Juba intervenes,” one staff member said.
“The monthly rent is about $9,000, and no payments have been made for months.”
Ambassador Awaits Direction from Juba
Sources revealed that Ambassador Anthony Louis Kon is currently in Juba, awaiting instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on how to address the situation.
The closure comes at a sensitive time for South Sudan’s foreign missions, following President Salva Kiir’s September directive to downsize embassies worldwide to cut operational costs. The plan aimed to ease the government’s growing financial burden amid a struggling economy.
Embassy Closure Sparks Outrage
Civil society leaders in South Sudan have described the embassy’s closure as an embarrassment and urged the government to act quickly.
“The status of our embassy’s rental fee is alarming. Kenya is a strategic country for South Sudan, and maintaining a functional diplomatic presence there is critical,” said Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO).
Strategic Implications for Juba–Nairobi Relations
The Nairobi mission, operational since 2011 when South Sudan gained independence, has played a key role in fostering trade, education, and peace initiatives between the two nations. Its closure risks slowing visa services, consular assistance, and cooperation between Kenyan and South Sudanese institutions.
Analysts say the situation exposes the deeper financial strain facing South Sudan’s diplomatic corps. It also raises questions about the government’s commitment to sustaining its presence in critical African capitals.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir last visited Kenya in 2022 for the state funeral of former President Mwai Kibaki, highlighting the long-standing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
As of this week, operations at the embassy remain suspended pending government intervention from Juba.
South Sudan, which depends on oil for more than 90% of its revenue, has struggled to recover from years of civil war, corruption and weak institutions.
The crisis has left South Sudan’s government strapped for cash, and most of the country’s diplomats around the world have not received salaries for several months.
