The Kenyan media has reported that a motion seeking parliamentary approval for the deployment of more Kenyan forces to South Sudan has been withdrawn.

The Daily Nation says this follows a call by South Sudanese authorities for a meeting of regional military heads to discuss how many soldiers are to be sent to Juba.

The Kenyan National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, who transmitted the request to discuss the motion, withdrew it on Tuesday.

He said a fresh motion will be introduced after further negotiations on logistical issues and the number of troops needed for the peace keeping mission is agreed.

“Following the high level meeting yesterday between the US Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs Ministers from IGAD and our security team they are still dealing with the logistics and we will then next week or later this week tell the House the actual number of troops which Kenya and all the other countries are willing to contribute,” Hon Duale said.

“I would like to withdraw it until next week when all the consultations are complete,” he said.

The motion had been scheduled as the House’s first agenda, signaling its urgency.

It has been reported that the South Sudanese government had been lobbying neighbors to postpone any approvals for troops until chiefs of defense forces agree on what the soldiers will or will not do, once in Juba.

South Sudan’s Deputy Ambassador to Kenya Jimmy Makuach was quoted as saying that it is important that Kenya doesn’t rush into approving the deployment of forces because there are other issues which are open for debate.

Kenya already has more than 1,000 troops in UNMISS. The new troops are to serve under a new protection force of 4,000 authorized by the UN Security Council.