The People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), a civil society entity, on Monday urged the National Legislature to call for a Constitutional Medical Fitness Assessment of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
A press statement extended to Radio Tamazuj said PCCA has watched with grave concern what appears to be a precipitous decline in the ability of Kiir to effectively perform the demanding duties of the Office of the President over the past five years.
“Each time the President travels abroad for diplomatic engagements, the people of South Sudan hold their breath, hoping that he will represent the country with dignity and clarity. Unfortunately, many of these appearances have raised serious concerns about his ability to think and speak coherently,” the statement reads in part. “We have also observed, with growing unease, apparent difficulties in his physical movement during public appearances on the international stage, suggesting possible ambulatory challenges.”
“Physical and cognitive decline are natural aspects of aging; however, when the President of a country is constrained by physical incapacity or diminished mental capacity, the consequences extend far beyond personal health—they raise serious national security concerns,” the statement added.
PCCA said the constitution recognizes this reality on eligibility for the office of the President, with Article 98(b) of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (2011) as amended, requiring the President to “be of sound mind.” Article 102(d) explicitly provides that the office of the President may be vacated in the event of physical incapacity or mental infirmity.
In light of these constitutional safeguards, PCCA called upon the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (RTNLA) to invoke Article 102(d) together with Articles 103(6), (7), and (8) of the Constitution.
“These provisions require that the President be subjected to a medical examination to determine his physical and mental fitness to continue exercising the duties of his office. Parliament should therefore direct the South Sudan Medical Commission to establish an independent Medical Board, as provided for under Article 103(6), to conduct a comprehensive medical assessment,” the statement reads. “The findings of this Medical Board should be made public in the interest of transparency and national stability. Such a process would not constitute an attack on the President. Rather, it would demonstrate the strength of the country’s constitutional institutions and affirm that the rule of law applies equally to all offices of state.”
According to PCCA, recent public events have heightened public concern about the President’s ability to perform his duties effectively.
“On 15 February 2026, during the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the President delivered a speech that many observers found deeply troubling. The speech appeared incoherent and disjointed, suggesting possible mental infirmity. The video of the address is publicly available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eubSB18MZ2Q,” the statement said. “During the address, several leaders left the hall while others present appeared disengaged. Many attendees could be seen speaking among themselves rather than listening to the speech. This situation reflected poorly on our nation and raised serious concerns about the President’s capacity to represent South Sudan effectively in international forums.”
“At the same summit, the President also appeared to struggle physically while walking, as shown in this widely circulated video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1475760574117118,” it added.
PCCA said, unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. On 9 September 2025, during the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the President also struggled to deliver a coherent speech. The video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkj8xebAGKg.
Similarly, on 25 November 2023, while delivering remarks as Chair of the East African Community (EAC), the President experienced numerous verbal slip-ups and appeared to struggle significantly while reading his prepared speech. Many South Sudanese were deeply embarrassed by the episode. The speech can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEn1B9ZDaBo.
“We also recall the incident during the funeral of former Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on 29 April 2022, when President Kiir was unable to deliver his speech personally. Instead, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro read the speech on his behalf while the President remained seated in the audience. The video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A8EgY-YBec,” the statement reads.
According to PCCA, these incidents raise serious questions about the President’s current capacity to govern effectively.
“Given the absence of a clearly recognized successor and the existing ambiguities between the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and the Constitution regarding presidential succession, any sudden incapacity of the President could trigger a dangerous and potentially violent power struggle,” the statement said. “The risk is not merely theoretical. If the President is unable to exercise his duties due to physical or mental incapacity, yet remains formally in office, the country may effectively be governed by unelected individuals operating illegally behind the scenes. This situation would pose a grave threat to constitutional order, democratic governance, and national stability.”
“The people of South Sudan, therefore, deserve clarity; they deserve to know whether the President is physically and mentally capable of performing the responsibilities of his office,” it added.
The organization said transparency in this matter is essential for the credibility of the government and the stability of the state.
“For these reasons, the PCCA calls upon President Kiir to submit himself to an independent medical examination as provided for in the Constitution and in line with his oath of office under Article 99 in which he consciously vowed to ‘…obey, preserve and abide by the Constitution and the law’; and for the results of that examination to be made public,” the statement concluded. “Only through transparency and adherence to constitutional procedures can the country avoid uncertainty, speculation, and potential crisis.”