In President Kiir’s South Sudan, recycling talent sustains power
South Sudan President Salva Kiir. His frequent sackings, rapid reappointments and Cabinet purges are also being read as part of a strategy to consolidate power ahead of planned elections this December.
President Salva Kiir’s latest dismissal of Central Bank governor Johnny Ohisa and the return of Addis Ababa Othow to the post has reinforced a familiar pattern in South Sudan: a revolving door of sackings, reappointments and reshuffles at the heart of government.
The changes announced last week came against a backdrop of severe inflation, suggesting the President was responding to mounting economic pressure. But they also point to a broader habit of recycling trusted insiders, a practice critics say reflects either a shortage of fresh talent or a preference for loyalty over reform.
