(JUBA) – A new report by the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (CHRSS) has accused Kenya and Uganda of failing to take action against South Sudanese officials suspected of laundering funds and engaging in illicit financial flows. The report says that this inaction has contributed to worsening poverty, insecurity and conflict in South Sudan.
The report, titled Plundering a Nation: How rampant corruption unleashed a human rights crisis in South Sudan, was released on September 16, 2025, and presented to the Human Rights Council. It notes that while neighbouring states are parties to United Nations and African Union treaties on corruption and crime, enforcement remains weak.
The commission states that although Kenya and Uganda have legal tools to prosecute cases of money laundering involving South Sudanese elites, no prosecutions have been initiated. Instead, authorities often fear straining diplomatic ties or affecting trade relations. By contrast, countries such as the United States, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have imposed sanctions, asset freezes, and in some cases, criminal trials targeting South Sudan linked corruption.
The report points to insider evidence that both Nairobi and Kampala hold significant information on illicit money transfers from South Sudan but have not acted on it. This, according to the commission, has helped sustain conflict by ensuring continued access to financial resources for political elites.
One example of action in other jurisdictions is Sweden, where two former executives of Lundin Energy AB are on trial for allegedly supporting war crimes in Sudan between 1997 and 2003. That case is being prosecuted under Sweden’s universal jurisdiction laws, which allow international crimes linked to Sweden to be tried domestically.
The report also raises serious concerns about revenue losses through electronic service contracts awarded by the South Sudan government. In 2020, the Ministry of Interior introduced an online portal for e-Visas. The system, built on Kenya’s ‘e-Citizen’ platform, is managed by a company called Crawford. According to the commission, Crawford retains 75 per cent of profits from the platform, in addition to a service fee of $20.16 (about 143,000 South Sudanese Pounds, SSP) on each $100 (710,000 SSP) visa.
Example of South Sudan E-Visa Fees
| Visa Type | Base Fee | Equivalent SSP | Extra Fee | Equivalent SSP | Crawford Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Month | $100 | 710,000 SSP | $20.16 | 143,000 SSP | 75% of total |
| 6 Months | $350 | 2,485,000 SSP | $20.16 | 143,000 SSP | 75% of total |
The report adds that in November 2020, Crawford also signed a contract with the National Revenue Authority to collect e-Tax payments, entitling the firm to 2 per cent of all digitally assessed taxes. By comparison, commercial banks receive only 0.5 per cent for physically collecting and transporting cash to the central bank.
In addition, an ‘Electronic Cargo Tracking Note’ fee of $300 (about 2.13 million SSP) per truck was introduced for imports in 2024. This has slowed trade, with many goods bound for South Sudan piling up at the Port of Mombasa, causing delays that are still affecting imports in 2025.
The CHRSS delegation, led by Commissioner Barney Afako, met Kenya’s Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja in Nairobi on September 17. Discussions focused on regional cooperation in tackling corruption and human rights violations linked to South Sudan. The commission stressed the importance of sharing information and recommendations among regional partners to address emerging threats.
While the National Police Service in Kenya has pledged to support the commission’s work, the report concludes that failure by neighbouring countries to act has allowed corruption networks tied to South Sudan to flourish. For South Sudan, this has meant not only lost revenue but also prolonged instability, making economic recovery more difficult.
