The controversy surrounding the South Sudan Embassy’s refusal to pay four Ugandan drivers their long-overdue salary arrears has now attracted the attention of Uganda’s Office of the President, signaling a major escalation in the diplomatic standoff.
According to an official letter dated 8th October 2025 and signed by Hajji Yunus Kakande, the Secretary, Office of the President, State House has formally written to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, demanding immediate action regarding the unpaid salaries of Ugandan workers who served at the South Sudan Embassy in Kampala.
The letter, referenced ADM 148/01, acknowledges receipt of a complaint filed by Mr. Isaac Makubuya, one of the affected drivers, acting on behalf of his colleagues Stephen Kiyaga, Musoga Mohammed, and Boyong Joseph Silas. The four men claim to have worked at the embassy for over 52 months (more than four years) without payment.
“This office is in receipt of a letter dated 1st October 2025 from Mr. Isaac Makubuya, who wrote on behalf of other staff in regard to the above subject matter. He informed this office that they have been working with the Embassy of South Sudan in Kampala for the last 52 months without any payment,” the letter states.
The Office of the President described the situation as a labour matter and directed the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to take over the case and ensure the embassy pays the affected workers.
Handwritten notes on the document further show that on 21st October 2025, the Commissioner for Labour confirmed receipt and indicated that a letter had been sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to facilitate engagement with the South Sudan Embassy.
This intervention follows earlier reports that Brigadier Philip Chol Kader, the Military Attaché at the South Sudan Embassy, was behind the non-payment, allegedly branding the four Ugandan drivers as “President Museveni’s spies”—a claim that insiders say has fueled mistrust within the embassy and led to the standoff.
Legal representatives of the affected drivers, Frederick Francis & Associates Advocates LLP, previously wrote to both the South Sudan Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking payment of the arrears totaling USD 131,100 (approximately Shs500 million).
Despite several appeals, the embassy reportedly refused to receive the lawyers’ letters, prompting government intervention.
With State House now fully seized of the matter, diplomatic analysts say the South Sudanese government will face increased pressure to resolve the issue and restore confidence in its labour relations within Uganda.
Repeated efforts by TrumpetNews to obtain a comment from the South Sudan Embassy and Brig. Kader remained unsuccessful by press time.
