Kosti Manibe Ngai: A Life in South Sudan’s Liberation Struggle and State-Building

Author: Lasuba Memo | Published: 2 hours ago

Photo Credit| Internet reproduction

Former South Sudan Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Kosti Manibe Ngai, has died at 78, in Nairobi, Kenya, according to his family.

Family member Yekonia Kosti told Eye Radio from Nairobi that a medical report on the cause of death was not yet available, as doctors were still preparing it.

Yekonia said Manibe had been living with cardiac amyloidosis, a condition that affects the heart.

He said Manibe was diagnosed with the condition in 2021, although he had experienced related health problems since 2019.

“The medical report is not yet out; the doctors are currently working on it,” Yekonia said. “For now, Dad has been unwell for some time. He has a condition called cardiac amyloidosis, which affects the heart by making its walls thick and stiff.”

Manibe was a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and held several positions during the liberation struggle and the transition to self-government.

During the war, he served in the SPLM administration, including as Secretary for Education, where he was involved in efforts to provide education services in areas under the movement’s control.

Before South Sudan’s independence in July 2011, Manibe served as Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the Government of Southern Sudan.

He later served as Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in the government of independent South Sudan. During his tenure, he was involved in establishing the country’s early financial institutions and representing the new government in its engagement with international financial institutions.

In 2012, Manibe signed a World Bank grant agreement on behalf of South Sudan as the country expanded its formal cooperation with the institution.

He also served as a member of Parliament and remained active in South Sudanese politics after leaving the finance ministry.

In December 2013, Manibe was among senior SPLM officials detained following the outbreak of fighting in Juba. He was released in January 2014 and later became associated with the SPLM Former Political Detainees, who participated in political negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.

His political career spanned the liberation struggle, the Government of Southern Sudan, the establishment of the independent Republic of South Sudan and the political crisis that followed independence.

Manibe’s death was reported on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.