Friday, August 23, 2025 saw the daughter of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir sworn in as the Senior Presidential Envoy for Special Programmes, a move that has sparked debate and criticism over nepotism and meritocracy in the country’s leadership.

Adut Salva Kiir Mayardit, alongside other newly-appointed officials, took oath of office at a ceremony at State House in Juba, two days after her appointment was announced in a presidential decree.

And what does this key role mean for the president’s daughter?

It means that Adut will be overseeing his father’s government initiatives, coordinating investment programmes as well as managing international partnerships.

Her appointment may be fitting given her experience, as she rans a non-profit, the Adut Salva Kiir Foundation, which promotes charity and humanitarian work in South Sudan.

But critics have condemned the move as high-level nepotism, political favouritsm, and a ploy by President Kiir to create a political dynasty for her daughter to take over the country’s top leadership after him.

And the critics may be justified in their assessment. This is not the first time President Kiir is involving his family members in state business. In 2024, he appointed his son, Thiik Salva Kiiir Mayardit, as Deputy Executive Director in the Office of the President. In 2017, he also appointed his brother-in-law, General Gregory Deng, as the Govenror of the Upper Nile State.

A 2024 report by the anti-corruption organisation, The Sentry, revealed that 23 members of the Kiir family, including his wife, at least nine of his children and grandchildren, and a brother-in-law and his family, held shares in businesses vital to the South Sudanese economy.