A member of the National Legislature who in the past served as Minister of Information for South Sudan’s defunct Torit State, MP Josephine Abalang dies in in Nairobi, passed away in Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday morning.
The news of her death was confirmed by a family member. Josephine Akulang, who also served as the State Minister of Finance for Eastern Equatoria State, succumbed after a brief illness, though her family noted that she had not shown any significant signs of sickness before her passing.
According to Solomon Oryem Abalang, a relative, her recent trip to Nairobi was intended to address complications from an accident she had suffered two years ago.
He explained how she had traveled to meet with doctors to discuss the removal of a metal plate from her leg.
“She returned home feeling well, took a bath, had a meal, and rested. It was only in the morning that we found her,” Oryem recounted with a mixture of shock and sorrow.
Throughout her career, Akulang was a prominent figure within the Government of South Sudan, holding a variety of influential leadership roles. She began her significant political journey as the Deputy Director of Public Relations in the Office of the President. At the time of her unexpected passing, she was serving as a distinguished technical adviser to the government, having also held the position of Undersecretary for Higher Education in the Ministry of Education briefly between 2008 and 2009.
In addition to her national responsibilities, Akulang was a member of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, where she represented the voices of the people from Ikotos County in Eastern Equatoria. Her colleagues and community members have expressed that her departure is a profound loss, mourning the absence of a visionary leader who worked tirelessly for her people.
In the wake of her death, Adv. Maurice Okwera Fortelo, Secretary of the funeral committee, has announced the tentative schedule for her funeral arrangements.
The High Committee, along with her family, has released statements concerning the ceremony, which will take place at the family residence located in the Hai Commercial Residential Area, directly opposite Juba Day Secondary School, and behind the LG building.
They anticipate that her remains will arrive at Juba International Airport on Wednesday morning, April 1, 2026. Following her arrival, the casket will be transported to the funeral house in Juba along Munuki-Bilpham Road, where it will be kept throughout the Holy Week. The requiem mass for the late Honorable Josephine Akulang is set to occur on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 09:00 AM at St. Joseph Parish (New Church).
Following this ceremony, the casket will be brought back home for a vigil overnight, with all friends and mourners invited to join her family in remembrance.
Her final resting place will be in Ikotos, Eastern Equatoria State, where her remains will be interred on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.