The comments came after President Kiir's appearance on JKLive, hosted by Kenyan journalist Jeff Koinange on Citizen TV, where Sebit said the interview lacked critical follow-up questions and rated it 2 out of 10 from what he described as a "purely journalistic standpoint." "I still struggle to understand its editorial objective," Sebit said.
"Was it meant to reassure an international audience ahead of South Sudan's elections, or to ask the difficult questions that millions of South Sudanese grapples with every day? If it was the latter, it fell well short."
Sebit said President Kiir's assertion that South Sudan was ready for elections because citizens wanted to elect their leaders should have been followed by questions about the country's electoral preparedness, including what concrete preparations had been completed, whether the electoral infrastructure was ready and what challenges remained before the planned polls.
He also faulted the interview for not addressing South Sudan's economic challenges, including inflation, unpaid public-sector salaries, the depreciation of the South Sudanese pound and the rising cost of living, describing them as the issues affecting most households.
The Radio Miraya journalist further said the interview omitted questions about politicians in detention, ongoing political trials and concerns over political freedoms, issues he said continue to generate public debate.
Sebit also challenged the interview's portrayal of South Sudan's security situation, arguing that reports of intercommunal violence, cattle raids, road ambushes and killings across parts of the country warranted tougher questioning about how the government plans to address persistent insecurity.
He said the interview underscored the importance of involving South Sudanese journalists in high-profile interviews with national leaders, arguing that local reporters bring a deeper understanding of the country's political, economic and security challenges because they cover them daily.
"This is not to suggest that only local journalists can conduct meaningful interviews," Sebit said. "International journalists have an important role. But when interviewing a head of state on issues affecting South Sudan, local journalists bring a depth of context that is difficult to replicate."
Sebit concluded that interviews with presidents should challenge those in power, clarify public concerns and leave citizens better informed. "In my view, this interview was a missed opportunity—not because of who conducted it, but because too many of the questions South Sudanese wanted answered were never asked," he said.
