VP Juldeh Jalloh Engages Councils and Chiefs on Decentralisation Challenges

Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, has called for more effective and responsive local governance as the Government intensifies efforts to reform the country’s decentralisation system.

Speaking in Makeni during a high-level consultation with local councils, paramount chiefs, councillors and other stakeholders, Vice President Jalloh said the Government was seeking direct input from those working at the community level on the challenges affecting the implementation of decentralisation.

He said the engagement was intended to move the discussion beyond policy considerations by incorporating the experiences of local actors into the reform process.

“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,” he said.

Supported by the World Bank Group, the consultation brought together senior government officials and ministers responsible for key sectors, including health, education, lands, agriculture and decentralisation.

Participants highlighted persistent challenges affecting local-level development and called for improved healthcare, better roads, stronger support for local councils, and closer cooperation between central and local government.

Councillor Rosemary H. Kamara of Bombali District urged the Government to strengthen initiatives to bring development and essential services closer to communities.

Paramount Chief Bai Bairoh Mabolleh Anshenni III of Mara Chiefdom also welcomed the consultation, describing it as an important opportunity for local stakeholders to present their concerns and recommendations directly to the Government.

Vice President Jalloh, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Decentralisation and Local Governance, said the recommendations gathered during the consultation would inform ongoing reforms.

He said the Government would use stakeholders’ views to translate its decentralisation commitments into practical policy measures, including a review of the Local Government Act.

The consultation forms part of the Government’s broader efforts to strengthen local institutions and ensure that decisions on development and public services increasingly reflect the needs and priorities of communities.