VP Juldeh Jalloh Directs Sweeping Local Governance Reforms
- Phebean Brima
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Seeking to reshape local administration across Sierra Leone, Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh spearheaded a major summit in Makeni and Port Loko on September 4, 2026, delivering a firm call to action: regional governments must transform into far more responsive, accountable bodies dedicated to serving their citizens.
The high-stakes gathering in Makeni served as a focal point of VP Jalloh’s broader regional decentralization tour, which officially concluded on Saturday in Port Loko district. The intensive two-week circuit spanned Kenema, Bo, Makeni, and Port Loko, creating an unprecedented platform for direct engagement with traditional rulers, district representatives, and local councils to tackle persistent governance and service delivery hurdles head-on.
Supported by the World Bank, the town-hall style summit in Makeni united district leaders, traditional paramount chiefs, and key central government ministers under one roof. The format gave grassroots representatives an unfiltered, direct pipeline to national decision-makers overseeing crucial sectors including health, education, agriculture, and land management.
"The intention is to move beyond policy discussions and hear directly from those who are implementing decentralisation at the local level what is working, what is not working, and what the Government needs to improve," VP Jalloh stated emphatically to attendees.
Throughout the session, local leaders laid out pressing grassroots challenges, urging swift intervention on key priorities such as modernizing rural healthcare infrastructure, upgrading vital road networks, and fortifying municipal governance frameworks.
Voicing local urgency, Councillor Rosemary H. Kamara of Bombali District called on the central government to fast-track initiatives that bring indispensable public services directly into community hands.
Echoing this sentiment, Paramount Chief Bai Bairoh Mabolleh Anshenni III of Mara Chiefdom commended the consultation process, describing it as an essential forum for local authorities to articulate key concerns and deliver actionable solutions directly to top leadership.
As Chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralisation and Local Governance, Vice President Jalloh reassured participants that their insights would not fall on deaf ears, confirming that local contributions will directly drive upcoming national policy decisions.
Reforms devised from these engagements will feed into foundation drafts for near-term legislative updates, including key amendments to the Local Government Act and institutional capability supporting public development projects.
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