South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed the country’s speaker and deputy speaker of parliament, according to a presidential decree announced in parliament on Tuesday.

The decree, read by Tulio Odongi Ayahu, chief whip of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), removed Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba and her deputy, Permena Awerial Aluong, from their positions in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly.

The decision follows a petition submitted last week by SPLM lawmakers accusing Kumba of corruption and alleged mismanagement of parliamentary funds, and calling for her removal. Kumba, who became South Sudan’s first female speaker in 2021, has not publicly responded to the allegations.

President Kiir has appointed Joseph Ngere Paciko as the new speaker, while Abuk Paiti Ayiik will serve as deputy speaker.

The dismissals mark the latest in a series of recent changes within Kiir’s administration. In late February, the president also removed Finance Minister Bak Barnaba Chol after just three months in office, without providing an official explanation.