Unease as Kiir names daughter to crucial post

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has become the latest African leader to appoint a family member to a senior government position, prompting accusations of nepotism.

He appointed his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, as Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes. This makes her one of the president's closest advisers. The position was previously held by Dr Benjamin Bol Mel, who was appointed Vice-President in charge of the Economic Cluster in May.

Adut had previously kept out of government affairs. She ran a non-profit organisation, the Adut Salva Kiir Foundation, which promoted charity and humanitarian work in South Sudan.

While her appointment may be fitting given her experience, it has been criticised for nepotism, with some critics describing it as the creation of a political dynasty within the nation's leadership or "inheritance governance".

However, this is not the first time that President Kiir has involved his family in state business. In November 2024, he appointed his son, Thiik Salva Kiir Mayardit, as Deputy Executive Director in the Office of the President.

In January 2017, President Kiir appointed his brother-in-law, General Gregory Deng, as Governor of Upper Nile State.

According to a 2024 report by the anti-corruption organisation The Sentry, 23 members of the Kiir family, including his wife, at least nine of his children and grandchildren, and a brother-in-law and his family, held shares in businesses that were vital to South Sudan's economy. They also received government contracts, blurring the line between proper procurement and nepotism.

Edmund Yakani, the executive director of the local NGO Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation, warned that the appointment could lead to the same issues seen in other African countries, where presidential family members appointed to public office have failed to prioritise the public interest.

In South Sudan, government officials from related families have served together in senior positions, including in the cabinet. For example, until 2023, First Vice-President Riek Machar and his wife, the then Defence Minister Angelina Teny, served in the same government. This was the result of a loose coalition created after the 2018 peace deal, which was mediated by the regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad). Ms Teny was controversially dismissed in April 2023, and her husband remains under house arrest in South Sudan, accused of inciting tribal militias in Unity State.

Two years after South Sudan gained independence, the country’s chief justice caused controversy by appointing his daughter as his personal assistant. He denied any wrongdoing.

Some analysts have suggested that South Sudan’s appointments evade scrutiny because there are no laws specifically prohibiting the appointment of relatives. It has also been argued that, given the country’s limited pool of experts in various fields, only those who have received a good education abroad can find employment. This pool happens to consist of the political elite who managed to keep their families safe abroad when war erupted back home.

However, South Sudan isn’t the only country doing that.

In March 2024, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni appointed his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF). Museveni’s wife, Janet Museveni, is also the Minister for Education.

Gen. Kainerugaba has risen through the ranks quicker than anyone else in the last decade and has also served as head of the presidential guard brigade. However, he has been criticised for turning the army into a family enterprise and for making social media statements that are not usually associated with professional military leaders.

In fact, the Museveni family has around 25 members and relatives in government positions. His brother Salim Saleh is a presidential adviser, as is his son-in-law Odrek Rwabwogo.

In Kenya, President William Ruto’s daughter, June Rollex Ruto, has been appointed Director of Foreign Service, a role that will see her lead the training of new diplomats. June is a qualified diplomat and has served in Europe as deputy head of mission before returning to Nairobi for her new role. However, her appointment as a member of the First Family raised questions.

Equatorial Guinea’s President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, appointed his son Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue as Vice-President, entrusting him with a wide range of responsibilities.

Source: https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/unease-as-kiir-names-daughter-to-crucial-post-5162614