The president’s tour to Northern Bahr el Ghazal through Western Bahr El Ghazal and Warrap state sparked controversy over claims of financial expectations among officials who accompanied him.
Earlier media reports indicated that Mr Kiir brushed off senior officials who expected him to hand out cash during the trip because he did not have money to distribute.
“As you can see, all government officials have come here thinking that I am here to distribute money to the people, but I don’t have it,” he said.
But the office of the president dismissed the reports obtained from Dinka audio attributed to the Head of State.
A separate recording reveals that the president later announced a substantial donation to local groups during his last trip to Northern Bahr El Ghazal State capital, Aweil.
“I donate 500 million (South Sudanese pounds) that will be distributed to traditional chiefs, artists, women and youth groups,” he said. It was not immediately clear if the donation was solely for Aweil or for the entire Greater Bahr El Ghazal region.
The President also used the occasion to reaffirm that South Sudan would proceed with national elections in December 2026, stressing that the transitional period is nearing its end.
“Every peace agreement has a timeline, and people go for elections when its period has elapsed, so we are going to conduct the elections in December 2026,” he said.
He further urged citizens to maintain peace and take advantage of the rainy season to boost agricultural production and reduce reliance on humanitarian aid.
The contrasting messages between the Presidency’s denial of financial expectations and Kiir’s own public remarks are likely to intensify debate over the nature and purpose of the Greater Bahr el Ghazal tour and the political expectations surrounding it.
