Juba, April 8, 2026 — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed Speaker of Parliament Jemma Nunu Kumba along with her deputy in a dramatic leadership reshuffle, according to official decrees read out in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
Tulio Odongi Ayahu, chief whip of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), announced that Kumba and her deputy, Permena Awerial Aluong, have been removed from their posts.
Kumba made history in 2021 as the first woman to serve as Speaker of South Sudan’s parliament, a role she held since August of that year.
The sackings come after a petition by SPLM caucus members accusing Kumba of corruption and alleged mismanagement of parliamentary funds, calls that had been building within party ranks ahead of Tuesday’s decree. Kumba has not publicly responded to the allegations.
President Kiir has appointed Joseph Ngere Paciko as the new Speaker and Abuk Paiti Ayiik as Deputy Speaker, signalling a swift reorganisation of parliamentary leadership.
Political analysts say Kiir frequently reshuffles senior positions in government and state institutions, a pattern seen in recent months amid ongoing political tensions and speculation over leadership succession in the world’s youngest nation. In late February, for example, Kiir abruptly dismissed the finance minister after just three months in office.
The changes come as South Sudan continues to navigate internal political pressures and efforts to stabilise governance structures under the transitional arrangements following years of civil conflict.
