Presidential Affairs Minister Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin waters a plant at the site where President Kiir survived a plane crash in 1993. | Photo: Courtesy.

Kenyan media report that the South Sudan government has pledged to construct a state-of-art accident and trauma center at the Eldama Ravine Mission Hospital, to be named after President Salva Kiir.

According to the media report the center will be built at the village where President Salva Kiir survived a plane crash in 1993.

A government delegation led by Presidential Affairs Minister Dr. Marial Benjamin visited the crash site where residents of Torongo village of Baringa County recovered the president’s passport.

According to Citizen Television, the document and other valuables were handed over to Dr. Marial by a family, who had safely stored them for the last 30 years.

“We have seen where our president, when he was the deputy chair of the struggle of the SPLM/A, and the chief of staff of all the armed forces by then, and in fact Kenya, with all its leadership, have always stood with the people of South Sudan,” Marial said.

President Kiir’s passport and armlets were handed over to the South Sudan authorities at a ceremony attended by the villagers.

The South Sudanese delegation, comprising over 15 members, was headed by Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Josephine Nopwon, the Minister of Environment, Thiik Kiir, the son of President Kiir, Chol Ajongo, South Sudan’s ambassador in Kenya, and Ambassador Bol Wek, among other officials.

In recognition of their gratitude, Citizen TV reports that Marial disclosed South Sudan’s plan to build a state-of-the-art accident and trauma center at the Eldama Ravine Mission Hospital, to be named after President Salva Kiir.

Additionally, the crash site will become a part of South Sudan’s heritage and will be transformed into a tourist attraction, with road improvements and upgrades to the healthcare facilities that provided medical assistance, in conjunction with the proposed Salva Kiir Mayardit Accident and Trauma Centre at Eldama Ravine.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated after a Kenya media cited, deleted and updated the report from its YouTube, website and social media accounts.

Early on Monday, April 3rd, 2023, Eye Radio published this news story titled: “South Sudan to build hospital at Kiir’s plane crash site in Kenya.”

The news story was first reported by Kenyan Citizens TV and video was published on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUy0bDFgO50 but was later deleted from Youtube.