South Sudan traces missing Sh1.03 billion to Kenyan banks

The South Sudanese government has traced its missing Sh1.03 billion to accounts at Ecobank, Kenya Commercial Bank and Cooperative Bank of Kenya.

These are linked to Lt Gen Thomas Cirillo Swaka - former SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of logistics, and his kin Fueni Cirillo.

Cirillo is reportedly a Human Resource Managament student at Mount Kenya University. No further details have been provided about her.

A bank statement seen by the Star shows transactions on the money after it was reported missing from the South Sudan government this month.

Paul Awan, chief of general staff, said the cash went missing after Swaka quit his job and defected from Sudan People's Liberation Army.

A letter dated February 9 shows that Awan asked Renish Omullo, a special envoy in charge of Germany international and regional affairs, to trace and return the cash which was transacted in US dollars.

Renish wrote to Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed on February 10 requesting that bank accounts held by Swaka and Cirillo be frozen.

Swaka is described in the letter, also seen by the Star, as a former SPLA officer and fugitive in Kenya who stole more than $10 million.

"This office is under instructions from the Office of the President, Government of South Sudan to kindly request you to facilitate a freeze of these accounts and recover the money back to Bank of South Sudan A/C name - Military Strategic Division; A/C no - (USD) 0026921002607," Renish says in her letter.

"However this letter has not gone through our Embassy in Nairobi because of the sensitivity of the matter and conflict of interest at the Embassy."

Renish said the money had already been secured and would be rerouted back to South Sudan.

In his resignation, Gen Swaka accused President Salva Kiir and SPLA leaders of abuses and pushing the tribal agenda in the country.

He becomes the second highest-ranking officer to resign after Gen Bapiny Monytuil since clashes erupted between government soldiers and opposition fighters in July 2016.

Read: How 'false' Facebook post caused death of 272 in South Sudan

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