South Sudan’s Vice President, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, was unable to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, for planned official engagements after she failed to receive the required presidential authorisation before her scheduled departure.

Reports had initially claimed that Nyandeng was physically blocked by security personnel from boarding a flight at Juba International Airport.

However, her office has denied the reports, insisting that she never went to the airport because the necessary clearance from the presidency had not been granted in time.

Nyandeng had been scheduled to travel to Kenya for several official engagements, including a public lecture at Murang’a University of Technology.

According to David Aleu Deng, the acting executive director in the Office of the Vice President for the Gender and Youth Cluster, her office submitted a formal travel request to the Office of the President on August 13, but the approval was not received before her planned departure.

Deng explained that as a senior government official, Nyandeng could not travel outside South Sudan without the necessary authorisation and clearance from the presidency.

The development came days after Nyandeng publicly criticised the political direction of South Sudan and raised questions about who was providing oversight and guidance to President Salva Kiir.

The Office of the President had not immediately commented on the matter at the time of reporting.