Kenyan UAP Insurance Director Arrested in South Sudan

The Managing Director of UAP Insurance Company, Mr. Japheth Omare Omwero, a Kenyan national, was arrested in South Sudan yesterday, February 22, 2025, for failing to comply with court summons and skipping a scheduled hearing.

The arrest follows a warrant issued by Presiding Judge Francis Amum, who charged Mr. Omwero with contempt of court after he neither appeared for a hearing on February 21 nor provided any explanation for his absence.

Mr. Omwero’s arrest stems from an ongoing legal battle between UAP Insurance and its national staff, which has drawn significant attention in recent months. He is expected to appear in court at the next session, though a specific date has yet to be announced.

The case traces back to October 2024, when UAP Insurance dismissed at least ten South Sudanese employees who had demanded better pay and equitable treatment.

The decision sparked outrage among the workforce and contradicted a directive from South Sudan’s Ministry of Labor, which had ordered the reinstatement of the sacked staff.

The National Staff Association (UNSA) responded by filing a lawsuit against the insurance firm, accusing it of unfair labor practices.

Tensions between UAP management and its national employees have been simmering for some time, driven by allegations of discriminatory wage gaps between local staff and foreign expatriates.

Last year, approximately 70 national employees staged a sit-in strike, briefly shutting down UAP operations. While some workers eventually resumed their duties, the underlying grievances remained unresolved.

In a letter dated September 29, 2023, Luka Nyarsuk Nason, Chairman of the Labor Advisory Council, urged UAP management to suspend all punitive measures against its staff.

The Ministry of Labor later intervened, issuing a verdict in October 2024 that upheld the employees’ claims. Mary Hillary Wani, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Labor, explicitly directed UAP to reinstate the ten dismissed workers, a ruling the company appears to have ignored.

Mr. Omwero’s arrest marks a significant escalation in the dispute, raising questions about UAP’s compliance with South Sudanese labor laws and its treatment of national staff.