17/09/2025
Public consultation on proposed plans to divide Freetown and create two local councils
I am pleased to inform Freetonians that the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs will be holding a public consultation on the proposed plans to divide Freetown into two cities with two local councils.
The public consultation will be held at the Freetown City Council Auditorium on Thursday 18th September at 10am and I encourage Freetonians to attend.
Ahead of the public consultation, I am re-sharing the open letter that I wrote to the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs on 3rd June 2025. At the date of the letter and as stated therein, Freetown City Council had not received any of its 2025 budget allocations for devolved functions.
Kindly note that on 18th August 2025, Freetown City Council received the budget allocation for the final quarter of 2024. A detailed breakdown of those transferred funds is also attached. As at today, 15th September 2025, none of the 2025 budget allocation has yet been transferred to Freetown City Council and the other local councils of Sierra Leone.
I remain strongly opposed to the proposed plans for the division of Freetown. I am not opposed to the plans because they will impact my tenure as the Mayor of Freetown; no, I am opposed to the plans because they will negatively impact the future of Freetown and the lives of Freetonians.
Service delivery in Freetown is most negatively impacted by coordination challenges and inadequate financial resources. Both of these issues will be made worse by the creation of another local council within the 82 sq km of land that is Freetown.
Coordination with the MDAs that hold key urban management functions will now be required by two local councils and not one. Financial resources which are already inadequate for service delivery will be diverted to covering the cost of another local council office and staff.
Creating another local council will not generate wealth, it will not stimulate economic growth in Freetown, it will sadly increase the public sector wage bill and divert the limited financial resources available away from delivering services to covering staff costs.
As you can see from the analysis in my open letter, the East End of Freetown which currently contributes only 20% of property rates but has the highest population, will be extremely disadvantaged.
I stand opposed to the proposed plans to divide Freetown and create two local councils because I love the city in which I was born and raised and I love the people who live in this city. Freetown deserves to be allowed to meet its potential and flourish. The proposed plans will not solve any of Freetown’s challenges, they will make them worse. So I will continue to say “Save Freetown!”
Sierra Leonean what will be your take on this sensitive matter
Staytun
