JUBA–President Salva Kiir Mayardit said South Sudan’s general elections will be held “by all means” on December 22, 2026, brushing aside concerns over logistical delays and visible gaps in preparation.
Speaking in Juba on Monday during the swearing-in of newly appointed electoral officials, Kiir urged the National Elections Commission (NEC) to press ahead with preparations, saying the country could not afford another delay in allowing citizens to elect their leaders.
“We are going for elections by all means,” Kiir said. “We are being watched by the world; what are we going to do? Now it is your turn,’ Kiir told the new officials, stating that the current economic challenges must not delay the elections.
The newly sworn-in commissioners are Chief Electoral Officer Mary Ajith and commissioners Karlo Arigo Wani and Mary Agol John.
Despite Kiir’s strong and determined pronouncement, electoral preparations are visibly behind schedule.
With less than two months left to the scheduled election date, voter registration has not begun as of October 2026, and no official election calendar has been published.
The country’s National Elections Commission (NEC), the institution tasked with preparing the elections, is yet to publicly establish a comprehensive timetable for completing registration and other key stages before the December deadline.
NEC has also remained silent on its nationwide civic and voter education plans, despite launching the process in Juba on July 27, 2026.
Under the amended NEC Act, the official election campaign period must not exceed 45 days and must conclude one day before polling. This absence of a clear timetable leaves political parties and candidates in limbo regarding when campaigning can formally begin and how they will reach voters across the country.
Funding gap
Adding to these delays is a severe financial deficit. The NEC estimates that it requires $250 million to successfully run the elections, but it has received only $27 million so far, a shortfall that the commission blames for stalled civic education and logistical rollouts.
To date, the Kiir administration has not clarified when or whether it will release the additional funding necessary for the polls to take place.
Kiir insisted on Monday that financial constraints should not be used as grounds to deny citizens their right to choose their leaders. He tasked the NEC to continue with preparing the country for the polls.
However, it remains unclear how the NEC can achieve this without the government releasing the required funds.
Shrinking civic space
While the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is currently conducting its internal primaries to select candidates without obstruction, opposition figures have raised concerns about restrictions on political activities ahead of the elections, citing the Republican Order No. 36/10/2026.
On October 15, 2026, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued Republican Order No. 36/10/2026, establishing a strict new travel approval framework for current and former senior government officials, including several prominent election candidates.
The directive mandates 48-hour advance notice for travel. For international travel, it now requires caretaker ministers, advisors, and governors to obtain written permission from the minister of Cabinet Affairs and presidential endorsement, while former high-ranking officials and lawmakers require direct clearance from the presidency.
Meanwhile, for domestic travel, senior officials must submit formal written notification for any internal journeys within South Sudan.
The impact of the directive is already being felt. Earlier this month, Kornelio Kon Ngu, leader of the National Alliance of Political Parties and presidential aspirant, said security forces blocked him at Juba International Airport from flying to Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal, to attend a funeral and meet party members.
Gabriel Alazir, the alliance’s spokesperson, called on the authorities to reconsider the restriction, arguing that political candidates should be able to travel freely within the country to organise their campaigns ahead of the elections.
Similarly, popular musician Meen Mabor Meen, widely known by his stage name Menimen, the interim chairman of the Revived South Sudan Party, has joined calls for the travel restrictions to be lifted.
In a public statement issued on Sunday, October 25, 2026, Menimen warned that requiring political leaders to obtain official clearance before travelling within the country is sabotaging democratic mobilisation and preparations for the December general elections.
Security concerns persist.
Beyond political obstacles, armed clashes and communal violence have been reported in several parts of the country, raising fears that insecurity could keep some citizens from reaching polling stations on election day.
The NEC has yet to outline how voting will be organised in conflict-affected regions, and the government has not spelled out what specific security measures will be implemented to protect voters, candidates, and election workers in areas affected by violence.
Vote delayed since 2015
South Sudan has never held a general election since gaining independence in 2011. The current vote has already been postponed several times.
Despite the existing gaps gaps in its preparation, the election is widely seen as the final benchmark of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, which ended the 2013–2018 civil war.
At least 46 political parties have already registered with the Political Parties Council.