Peter Mayen Majongdit was preparing for a presidential showdown. Instead, he has found himself on a different political road one leading to a caretaker ministry.
The People’s Liberal Party (PLP) leader has withdrawn from South Sudan’s December 2026 presidential race after accepting appointment as Caretaker Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.
Mayen arrived in Juba from Warrap on Tuesday to take part in his swearing-in as a caretaker official, marking a sharp turn from his earlier plans to campaign for the presidency.
“I accept the role as Caretaker Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, to serve the people of South Sudan in fighting disaster,” Mayen told reporters.
But the caretaker appointment comes with an important political catch.
President Salva Kiir’s order establishing the caretaker administration bars caretaker officials from contesting the relevant elective positions in the upcoming elections.
They are also required to remain impartial and are prohibited from using public office or state resources to promote or disadvantage political parties or candidates.
That effectively put a roadblock in front of Mayen’s December presidential ambitions.
Still, Mayen says the caretaker rules are not the only reason he is stepping aside.
The former presidential hopeful cited recent family losses, saying he was not emotionally prepared to enter another presidential contest.
“I’m not going to contest again due to family issues,” Mayen said, referring to the deaths of two family members who he said helped him rise in public life.
Mayen had been nominated by the PLP as its presidential candidate and had publicly declared his intention to challenge President Kiir in the December polls.
Now, instead of campaigning across the country, Mayen will be sitting on the other side of the political table helping run the caretaker government as it prepares for the elections.
The twist does not appear to mark the end of his political ambitions.
Mayen said he could contest in future elections, leaving the possibility of another presidential bid when the political circumstances change.
For now, however, the State House race will go ahead without him.
His immediate assignment is humanitarian: taking charge of a ministry responsible for responding to disasters while the country moves towards its planned December 22, 2026 elections.
In South Sudan’s fast-changing political landscape, Mayen’s journey has taken an unexpected detour from presidential hopeful to caretaker minister, with the State House ambition parked for another day.
