Former President Ernest Bai Koroma is expected to return to Freetown this weekend before travelling to Makeni the following week, Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has announced.

Vice President Jalloh disclosed the planned visits during a stakeholder engagement in Makeni as part of the Government’s Regional Decentralisation Tour, where he met with Paramount Chiefs and local council officials to discuss local governance.

According to the Vice President, Koroma’s planned visits will provide an opportunity for further engagement with stakeholders and communities.

Koroma, who served as Sierra Leone’s President from 2007 to 2018, is a native of Makeni and has remained involved in public and national affairs since leaving office.

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His planned visit comes after a period of reduced public visibility following the discontinuation of proceedings related to the November 2023 attempted coup.

The former President has also previously engaged with government officials on issues relating to peace and national cohesion.

During the ECOWAS Summit held in Freetown in July 2026, Vice President Jalloh, Koroma and the Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) held discussions on promoting peace and national cohesion.

Koroma and Jalloh have also met previously in Makeni. In May 2022, the two held discussions on national and regional peace and security issues, with Koroma commending the government’s efforts to secure Sierra Leone a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Jalloh’s engagement in Makeni forms part of the Government’s “Governance in Action” Regional Decentralisation Tour.

The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, with support from the World Bank.

It is aimed at bringing local government closer to citizens and strengthening decentralised governance across Sierra Leone.

The Vice President’s announcement of Koroma’s planned visits adds another dimension to the Makeni engagement, particularly as the former President is expected to reconnect with stakeholders and communities in the Northern Region.

Further details about Koroma’s programme and engagements during his planned visits to Freetown and Makeni are yet to be announced.