By Sabri Dibaco
Former Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba has urged members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to register in large numbers ahead of the planned elections.
Kumba made the call during the ongoing SPLM membership registration and renewal exercise in Western Equatoria State and other states.
She urged party leaders to lead by example and mobilise communities to participate.
Kumba said the exercise is important for establishing the party’s actual membership and strengthening its structures from the grassroots level.
“Our people want to see us as their leaders, and they see what we do. So we have to take the lead to mobilise and bring our people together,” Kumba said.
She encouraged men, women, and young people to turn up in large numbers, saying accurate membership records are essential for determining the strength of the party.
“I’m here to encourage all of you, men and women, youth, to register in big numbers. Because we must know how many people are actual members,” she said.
Kumba’s appeal comes at a significant point in her political career, months after she was removed as Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly following a dispute within the ruling SPLM.
In March 2026, the SPLM parliamentary caucus moved to remove Kumba from the speakership, with lawmakers raising concerns over her management of the legislature and allegations of corruption. Kumba rejected the accusations and questioned the procedure used to seek her removal.
President Salva Kiir, who is also the SPLM chairman, later dismissed Kumba as Speaker and appointed Joseph Ngere Paciko to replace her.
Kumba had served as Speaker since 2021, becoming the first woman to lead South Sudan’s national legislature.
Her removal marked a major change in the leadership of the parliament and came amid continuing political maneuvering within the SPLM.
Despite leaving the speakership, Kumba remains a senior SPLM figure and has continued to participate in party activities, including the ongoing membership registration campaign.
Before becoming Speaker, Kumba served as Governor of Western Equatoria State from 2008 to 2010 and later held several national ministerial positions.
Her involvement in the registration exercise in Western Equatoria gives added significance to her appeal for party members to participate, particularly as the SPLM works to strengthen its grassroots organisation.
The membership drive is taking place as South Sudanese political parties and other stakeholders prepare their structures and supporters for the country’s planned electoral process.
For the SPLM, the registration and renewal exercise is intended to establish an updated record of party members while improving coordination between structures at the grassroots, county, state, and national levels.
Kumba said party leaders should not simply ask supporters to register but should actively participate and mobilise their communities.
Her message is therefore centred on three priorities: leadership by example, mass participation, and accurate membership records.
As preparations for the elections continue, the SPLM is expected to rely on its grassroots structures to mobilise supporters and strengthen its organisation across the country.