South Sudan is at war again. The recent outburst of gunfire in the capital Juba left around 300 people dead and thousands fleeing the city.
What I remember well about the youngest nation is the day I almost got conned in Juba.
On March 9, 2015, I left JKIA at 2pm in a passenger plane en route to Juba. At 3.30pm, we landed in Juba international airport. We assembled our luggage at the waiting lounge as we go through the custom procedures.
It is while I was queuing in the line at the custom's office that I saw a guy taking my bag. I rushed and caught up with him a few metres away. I asked him, in English, to give me my bag.
He told me, through a translator as he could not speak in English and I did not understand Arabic, to pay him 100 South Sudanese pounds (about Sh2,000 at that time) for helping me carry my bag.
I told him I only have Kenya money but he refused and "held my bag hostage" for close to 2 hours. It took the help of my host who came to pick me up to get my bag back after parting with 10 SSP.