Freetown and Floods: the huge cost of poor urban planning and Environment Stewardship
Every year, the rainy season in Sierra Leone comes with its usual ferocity and destruction of lives and property. And every year, the response from government and society remains the same. Such a business-as-usual attitude and reckless environmental stewardship must change if Freetown is to remain a viable community, with people living and working sustainably […]
Western diplomats versus who? Been here before
As the elections draw closer, some patterns are emerging, and they are all too familiar. There are plenty of glossy and ubiquitous billboards of the incumbent all over the place. That is one way to tell that the elections are here and it also shows you who controls The Power and resources. But this is […]
Racing to class: FBC’s overcrowding problem
When Dauda Kamara got admitted to study engineering at Fourah Bay College, he was over the moon–excited about being at Mount Aureol and hopeful about his future. A few weeks into his university journey, the euphoria started dissipating as he was struck by the reality of student life at Sub-saharan Africa’s oldest western-style university. Dauda […]
2023 Elections: Voter registration hiccups and implications for the electoral process
The registration of voters for next year’s public elections has had a bumpy start. In the first week, staff contended with malfunctioning kits and other logistical problems, while many registrants were left either frustrated or confused. This delivery is clearly the product of a not-so-well-planned exercise by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL). Sorry, […]
Salone Protests: Why the ‘terrorism’ framing is problematic and what we can learn
This has been a tough week for Sierra Leoneans, especially those who lost loved ones in the horrific violence and small business owners who were affected around the country. There has been outrage and a lot of condemnation of the protests and the ensuing violence. Focusing on the events of 10th August alone and framing […]