On the evening of Monday, 17 November 2025, South Sudan President Salva Kiir issued several republican decrees sacking and appointing officials to various portfolios in what has become a routine. The recent flurry of political appointments might, at a glance, appear to be a decisive effort to address South Sudan’s myriad crises—from a teetering economy to persistent insecurity.
President Kiir made it loud and clear in 2024 that he was looking for the people who could effectively run his government. However, a closer examination reveals a familiar pattern that observers have long lamented: The circulation of the same political elites, a perpetual game of musical chairs in which the players change seats, but the band remains the same, thereby achieving little genuine reform.
Like several observers, I consider the recent spate of appointments and cabinet reshuffles “mere political recycling”—for they are less about finding the right talent for the job, a solution President Kiir is supposed to be seeking genuinely. Unfortunately, he has consistently become interested in a calculated strategy of political survival and power consolidation, effectively pouring “old wine into new bottles”.
This suggests that the dramatis personae of South Sudanese politics are being recycled rather than replaced, a strategic maneuver that speaks volumes about power preservation, risk aversion, and the deliberate circumvention of meaningful reform.
Perhaps, except for Ateny Wek Ateny, who will head the Information Ministry, Peter Lam Both, of Roads and Bridges, and Mabior Garang de Mabior, who has been assigned to oversee our Environment, the essence of recent recycling lies in the reinstatement of veteran officials to high offices, despite records of underperformance or allegations of systemic corruption. Examples include the reappointment of Dr James Wani Igga as Vice-President and Chairperson of the Economic Cluster, a post he has occupied repeatedly.
This recycling has shattered the hope envisioned by the majority of citizens, as they yearned for change a week ago. Individuals like James Wani are not fresh faces whom ordinary citizens can count on, as they expect fresh perspectives with innovative solutions. They are old folks whose loyalties and strengths have been tried and tested, leaving the stratagem to communicate nothing new but the illusion of change. The appointments have become a zero-sum game of elite circulation rather than an expansion of the political sphere. The game is played within a “closed shop”, smartly preventing outsiders with fresh perspectives from offering alternative paths forward. The consequence is a perception of cosmetic change that perfectly ignores the fundamental problems of governance.
President Kiir’s administration is well known for the frequent cabinet reshuffles and changes in senior government positions. Each time, the public is told that these changes are necessary to enhance service delivery and accountability. Yet, the same faces reappear. Officials who have presided over failing ministries and security agencies, been linked to corruption scandals, or demonstrated incompetence, are simply moved to different portfolios, only to be brought back to the fold months or years later. This process is not reform; it is a recycling aimed at creating an illusion of dynamism and responsiveness, while preserving the deeply entrenched political architecture of the ruling elites at the expense of the South Sudanese masses. When officials who have been removed because of poor performance or allegations of the embezzlement of public resources are reinstated, it sends a clear signal that competence and patriotism are secondary to loyalty. This practice effectively kicks the can down the road on addressing the nation’s severe economic meltdown, exacerbated by hyperinflation and persistent insecurity. When the strategy prioritizes the appeasement of various political, ethnic, and regional factions within the government’s inner circle, service delivery for the populace is compromised.
In his recent article on Radio Tamazuj website, titled, Decrees and Decline: A Presidency Reduced to a Book of Decrees, Dr Remember Miamingi pointed out correctly that Kiir’s strategy is not random chaos. It is a method, and a dangerous one. Basing his assessment on Alex de Waal’s political discourse, Dr Miamingi argued that Kiir’s decree book has become, “… the central manual of government in South Sudan. Through it, he runs a political marketplace in which offices are traded for loyalty and access to money, and he uses the politics of hiring and firing to humiliate one rival through another in a circle of revenge within a ruling clique that was already fractured by design during the liberation war.”
To Miamingi, key posts are no longer positions of responsibility, but rotating tokens in a game of power patronage and humiliation.
Apparently, the logic behind this design is not to ensure effective governance, but to have maximum control over political as well as economic power. For more than a decade, South Sudan’s politics have remained intensely personal and factional, driven by ethnic allegiances and the need to balance power among various military and political elites. By rotating officials within his inner circle, President Kiir achieves several strategic objectives: appeasement, preventing power bases, and rewarding loyalty.
The appointments are often a delicate balancing act to ensure no single faction or ethnic group feels entirely marginalized, thus preventing potential political or military challenges to his authority. By moving officials from office to office, or reinstating these folks to their old portfolios, he prevents them from building independent power bases within a single institution that could one day challenge his leadership. Additionally, the strategy is centered on rewarding loyalty.
Loyalty often supersedes merit and patriotism. The recycled officials are a familiar coterie of people with “vested interest” with proven allegiances to the President, a safer bet than introducing potentially unpredictable technocrats or reformers who might demand transparency and accountability.
Pouring “old wine” into new bottles proves costlier than the architect might think. The outlays of the incessant revolving political and military leaders alike are dire for a nation that has experienced little peace since its independence in 2011.
The strategy undermines transparency and accountability. For example, if poor performance or alleged corruption does not lead to permanent removal of officials from offices, there will never be an incentive for them to change their behavior or manage public resources responsibly, precipitating the institutional collapse. Not only does the constant turnover prevent long-term strategic planning, but it also hinders the implementation of vital policies. Just as officials begin to grasp the complexities of their ministries or agencies, they are fired in the evening, and the process of acclimatization must start anew, leading to chronic disorganization and the subsequent breakdown of the system. The practice erodes public trust. Citizens see the same individuals presiding over the same systemic failures and grow cynical about the government’s commitment to improving their lives. This disillusionment further fuels instability and apathy.
President Kiir’s reliance on a familiar cast of characters is more than a benign habit; it is a calculated political strategy. The “old wine in new bottles” approach to government appointments underscores a leadership style that favors control, loyalty, and risk aversion over accountability and reform.
While the faces in the cabinet may change positions, the underlying structures of power remain static. For South Sudan to move forward, it is worthwhile to suggest that President Kiir must break this cycle of political recycling. True reform requires a commitment to meritocracy and accountability through the introduction of fresh perspectives and expertise. The focus must shift from the politics of survival to the politics of national service.
The challenges facing South Sudan are overwhelming, and they demand new solutions, not merely a reshuffling of old folks in new positions. The “old wine” of self-serving politics has proven toxic to the nation’s health. Only by embracing genuine change, transparency, and accountability can South Sudan hope to build a stable and prosperous future.
Amaju Ubur Yalamoi Ayani, aka Amaju Joseph Ubur Ayani, is a teacher and political commentator (amajuayani@gmail.com).
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.