By Lodu William Odiya
Kenyan President William Ruto has reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to supporting South Sudan as the country prepares for its general elections scheduled for December 2026.
President Ruto made the remarks after hosting South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit at State House in Nairobi, where the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the strong bilateral relations between their countries.
“Hosted South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit at State House, Nairobi. We expressed satisfaction with the strong relations between our two nations and resolved to continue opening more opportunities for trade and investment for our citizens,” Ruto wrote on his Facebook account.
President Ruto commended the launch of the Inter-Party Dialogue and encouraged South Sudanese political parties to maintain the spirit of dialogue and build consensus on election-related matters.
“Kenya stands ready to support South Sudan in this endeavour while encouraging dialogue and consensus among all parties,” he stated.
The leaders also resolved to strengthen economic cooperation by creating more opportunities for trade and investment for citizens of both nations.
President Ruto further thanked South Sudan for participating in last week’s launch of the Dangote East Africa Refinery in Lamu, Kenya.
Kiir’s visit comes less than two weeks after South Sudan dissolved its Transitional Government of National Unity and formed a caretaker administration, making the trip his first known foreign visit since the political transition.
The visit also comes at a critical point for South Sudan, which is scheduled to hold its first elections since independence in 2011 on December 22.
The elections have been overshadowed by political and security tensions, with regional and continental actors closely monitoring developments in Juba.
The African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and other partners have recently reaffirmed their support for South Sudan’s political transition and preparations for the polls.
Kenya has previously played a significant role in South Sudan’s peace and political processes, including through the Tumaini Initiative, which was launched in Nairobi in 2024 to bring holdout groups into negotiations over the country’s peace process.
“President Kiir thanked the leaders of the African Union C5 for their support for the electoral process and welcomed the recognition by the African Union Peace and Security Council at its 1364th meeting of the government’s commitment to holding credible elections,” according to the presidential press unit.
President Kiir affirmed that South Sudan has completed the necessary legal steps toward elections, while administrative, logistical, and financial preparations are being implemented.
He added that the Inter-Party Dialogue on Election-Related Matters is ongoing as the government works to provide the people of South Sudan with an opportunity to freely choose their leaders. Other outstanding national issues, he said, can be addressed following the elections.
Both leaders underscored that successful elections in South Sudan are vital to peace and security in East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the continent.
The discussions also covered economic cooperation. President Kiir commended President Ruto’s leadership during the groundbreaking ceremony for the refinery in Lamu on September 30, 2026, describing the project as an important regional undertaking with immense economic and strategic benefits.
The South Sudanese leader was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku and officials from the South Sudan Embassy in Nairobi.
The two presidents discussed economic and infrastructure cooperation, with the newly launched Dangote East Africa Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone in Lamu emerging as a key area of interest.
South Sudan is being considered as one of the potential regional sources of crude oil for the planned refinery, which is intended to serve markets across East and Central Africa.
The discussions come days after Ruto and Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote broke ground on the Sh2 trillion Lamu refinery project.
The facility, which is expected to have a processing capacity of 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day, is designed to draw supplies from multiple sources rather than relying solely on Kenyan crude.
For South Sudan, participation in the Lamu project could provide an additional export route and deepen its economic links with Kenya, particularly through the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor.
The two countries have previously committed to strengthening infrastructure links along the corridor, which is intended to provide South Sudan with access to the Indian Ocean and facilitate regional trade.
In 2023, Ruto and Kiir agreed to accelerate infrastructure projects linking the two countries, including the Nadapal-Nakodok road and a fibre-optic connection along the Eldoret-Juba route.
They also discussed expanding bilateral trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area.