Samura Kamara Publishes Book on Political Journey, Betrayal and Sierra Leone’s Democracy
Deborah Sorie Former All People’s Congress (APC) presidential candidate Dr Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara has released a new memoir titled My Circumstances of Life: Service, Betrayal, and the Struggle for Sierra Leone’s Democracy, offering his personal account of more than four decades in public service and his experiences in Sierra Leone’s political landscape.
The book examines Kamara’s journey from his early life in Kamalo to senior positions in government, including Financial Secretary, Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
It also recounts his experiences during the civil war, post-war reconstruction and the Ebola crisis, alongside his involvement in two presidential elections as the APC’s flagbearer in 2018 and 2023.
A major focus of the memoir is the controversy surrounding the 2023 presidential election, the disputed results and his subsequent engagement with President Julius Maada Bio.
Kamara also discusses the proposed Agreement for National Unity, the work of the Tripartite Committee on electoral reforms and what he describes as the unfinished reform process.
Addressing allegations and speculation surrounding his handling of the 2023 election results, Kamara maintains that he did not surrender the votes of his supporters.
“I did not trade away the votes of Sierra Leoneans, and I could not have done so had I wished to, because those votes were never mine to trade,” he writes.
The memoir also examines the breakdown of his longstanding relationship with former President Ernest Bai Koroma, whom he describes as a former friend whose relationship with him eventually deteriorated.
In presenting his account, Kamara reflects on the political challenges surrounding his two presidential campaigns, the disputed election outcomes and the consequences for his political leadership within the APC.
The publication is expected to generate further discussion about the 2018 and 2023 elections, electoral accountability, national unity and the country’s democratic development.
Titled My Circumstances of Life: Service, Betrayal, and the Struggle for Sierra Leone’s Democracy, the memoir is available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and hardcover editions, as well as through local bookstores in Sierra Leone.