South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi Remains Open Despite Rent Arrears’ Closure Reports
South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi Remains Open Despite Rent Arrears’ Closure Reports
South Sudan has rejected reports that its embassy in Nairobi has been closed, saying that the embassy remains operational despite a temporary technical problem that affected some of its services.
South Sudan has denied the closure of its embassy in Nairobi, stating that it is still operating despite a brief technical issue that impacted some of its services.
The ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation of South Sudan issued the clarification on Thursday August 13 after claims that the embassy in the Kilimani area of Nairobi was not functioning.
The ministry in its statement reported that the Nairobi embassy was not the only one across the globe that is facing the same situation and indicated that the reports in the media were not accurate.
However, the Embassy in Nairobi is not closed, the ministry said, noting that there has been a temporary technical problem to affect some of the Embassy’s operations. It said it was looking into the matter and services would be resumed.
The government’s response was after reports surfaced that the embassy was not open to the public earlier in the week. Some visitors reportedly were not able to enter the premises for consular services and speculation arose that the mission had been closed.
The disruptions were also attributed to failure to pay rent, and the reports suggested that the embassy owed several months rent. The concern was raised due to the fact that the citizens of South Sudan residing in, or visiting Kenya, rely on the Nairobi mission for various diplomatic & consular services.
The latest is the latest of several incidents involving claims for unpaid rent against the South Sudanese embassy in Kenya that had sought to close. The mission was said to have been closed in November 2025 due to a renter problem, but eventually restarted operations.
But there is no mention of rent arrears in South Sudan’s latest statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Rather, it said it had not decided to shut down the Nairobi embassy, and blamed the disruption for being caused by a temporary technical issue.
The ministry also rejected claims that other South Sudanese diplomatic missions around the world had been shut down.
It urged people and media houses to use official government communication to get information on the status of South Sudanese embassies and other diplomatic missions.
The clarification is especially welcome for South Sudan nationals residing in Kenya, who might have had concerns regarding the embassy’s ability to issue passports, documentation, provide consular services etc.
The Nairobi mission too is preparing for a leadership change. The diplomatic moves to the South Sudan Embassy are expected to grow with the appointment of newly appointed South Sudanese Ambassador Simon Juach Deng who is looking to take up his post in September.
The government of South Sudan, for the moment, does not have any intention of closing its embassy in Nairobi, and the disruption should not be seen as a permanent closure.
The ministry’s statement appears intended to reassure South Sudanese citizens and other embassy users that diplomatic operations will continue while the reported technical difficulties are resolved. It also underscores the government’s position that claims about the closure of its missions abroad should be verified through official channels before being accepted as fact.
