Sierra Leone 2028: Beyond Ambition — Towards a National Contract

By Zainab Tunkara Clarkson ( Aka Zee)

As Sierra Leone approaches the 2028 general elections, the stakes have never been higher. What lies before us is not merely a political contest — it is a national crossroads. The choice we face is not just about who will be our next President, but whether we will finally begin to build a nation rooted in justice, vision, and sustainable development — or continue to recycle leaderships that thrive on division, slogans, and empty promises.

It is time to change the political conversation.

For too long, our elections have been reduced to personality cults, tribal loyalties, and political theatrics. But the survival of our nation demands more. The 2028 election must not be a platform to validate personal ambition. It must become a contract between the people and their future — a collective decision about the direction of our country for the next generation.

We Must Ask Better Questions

Our political debates often focus on personalities. Who is more popular? Who is loyal to which region or tribe? Who can "mobilize the base"? But these are not the questions that build nations.

We must ask:

What kind of future do we want to build as a people?

What kind of development do we want to see — not just in Freetown, but in the villages of Kailahun, the farms of Bombali, the fishing towns of Bonthe, and the mining communities of Kono?

What is the national project that binds us beyond ethnicity, beyond region, and beyond history?

This is the debate Sierra Leone needs. And it must begin now.

A Country Under Siege

Every day, our youth face an existential crisis. The devastating rise of Kush addiction is tearing through families, communities, and futures. Drug cartels and criminal networks are infiltrating our economy and state institutions. Tribal politics, once a subtle undercurrent, have resurfaced with aggression — poisoning political discourse and feeding distrust.

This is not development. This is slow destruction. And yet, many of our leaders seem more concerned with securing votes than securing the future.

What Must Leadership Offer?

If we are to entrust someone with the leadership of this nation, they must have more to offer than charisma or slogans. They must provide clear, realistic, and financed plans to address the urgent issues facing our people.

Here are the questions every serious candidate must answer:

What is your climate change adaptation strategy?

Sierra Leone is vulnerable to floods, coastal erosion, and food insecurity. What will you do to protect our environment and communities?

What are your policies on rural development, agriculture, and livestock?

How do you plan to make rural life viable again?

How will you resolve the land disputes and reform land ownership laws?

Will you ensure justice and equity in access to land?

What is your plan to dismantle the Kush and narcotics economy — especially where it involves government actors?

What is your industrialization strategy?

Do you have a plan to move Sierra Leone beyond import-dependency and extractive industries?

How will you tackle mass youth unemployment?

What is your plan for job creation, entrepreneurship, and vocational training?

What reforms will you enact in healthcare and social protection systems?

How will you make healthcare accessible, affordable, and effective?

What are your concrete actions for implementing equality laws and combating gender-based violence, especially in our security forces?

How do you plan to reform education and public administration through digitalization?

Can you create a 21st-century civil service?

How will you fund your promises?

Will you redirect public taxes towards real development instead of patronage?

What is your national vision beyond your term in office?

Will your project outlive your presidency?

What is your commitment to clean and renewable energy, and universal access to clean water?

Will you ensure renters’ rights, urban housing reform, and modern land use policies?

How do you plan to de-politicize our institutions and restore trust in the state?

Beyond the Mask of Leadership

If your candidate has no answer to these questions — if he offers vague promises without funding mechanisms or timelines — then he is not a leader. He is a careerist, a political opportunist, a professional campaigner without a cause.

True leadership is not about winning elections. It is about building a future.

The 2028 Referendum: A Historic Opportunity

This election must be a referendum — not on personalities, but on policy and national direction. We must not allow the ballot to become a symbolic exercise to legitimize political careers. It must be a moment of clarity, where the people say: “This is the Sierra Leone we want, and this is the leader who will help us get there.”

Sierra Leone Deserves Better

We deserve a state that functions beyond ethnic boundaries. A government that works for the people, not against them. A nation where young people are not choosing between addiction, migration, or criminality — but between innovation, education, and opportunity.

Sierra Leone is rich in resources, culture, resilience, and spirit. But she is poor in political imagination and accountable leadership. That must change.

We cannot afford another lost decade.

It Starts with Us

Let us challenge our parties. Let us interrogate our leaders. Let us demand real policies, not vague manifestos. Let us reject the politics of division and demand a politics of vision.

Sierra Leone deserves more than slogans. She deserves a solution.