South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has dismissed two senior presidential aides following an extraordinary administrative error in which a presidential decree named a deceased politician to a key committee preparing for the country’s long-awaited national elections.
A Republican Order issued on January 30, 2026, listed Steward Soroba Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) who died several years ago, as a member of a panel set up to guide discussions ahead of elections now scheduled for December 2026.
Local media and social media users quickly spotted the mistake, prompting widespread ridicule and criticism of the presidency. Budia’s family reportedly demanded an apology, removal of his name from the decree, and cultural reparations, arguing that including the late politician’s name violated traditional beliefs about respect for the dead.
In response to the controversy, President Kiir issued a statement relieving his press secretary, David Amour Major, and the chief administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Valentino Dhel Maluet, of their duties. The decree expressing the dismissals did not explicitly link the sackings to the error, but observers have widely seen them as a direct consequence of the embarrassment.
An earlier press release by Amour acknowledged the mistake, saying the office relied on names submitted by stakeholders and that proper verification had not been carried out. He did not identify who was responsible for the inaccurate submission.
South Sudan has never held national elections since gaining independence in 2011, and repeated delays — amid political infighting and conflict — have pushed scheduled polls to December 2026. The panel at the centre of the controversy was intended to help prepare the country for that vote.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in governance and administrative coordination in South Sudan as it attempts to hold its first national elections while managing security concerns and political divisions.
