Jonglei State Governor Riek Gai Kok is in stable condition after being flown to Nairobi for medical treatment, state officials said Wednesday.
Deputy Governor Wilson Wuol Gajang said the governor developed high blood pressure while carrying out official duties in Duk County and sought medical attention in Bor before traveling to Juba and then Kenya’s capital.
“He did not collapse as reported online,” Wuol said, emphasizing that the governor is responding well to treatment.
A senior official in the state government said Gai’s health condition may have been worsened by tensions in Duk County, where insecurity remains a concern, as well as difficult weather conditions.
The official confirmed that the governor was transported from Bor to Juba by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, after which his family arranged his transfer abroad.
Claims that the governor suffered food poisoning were rejected as unfounded and potentially aimed at fueling division.
Gai was appointed governor of Jonglei in March 2025 and was sworn in on March 10 of that year. Before assuming the role, he served as South Sudan’s national minister of health.
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