Residents across Freetown are enduring worsening electricity shortages as power generation from Karpowership remains significantly below contracted levels while the country’s main hydroelectric facility undergoes annual maintenance.

The Government of Sierra Leone originally signed a five-year agreement with Karpowership in July 2020, with the contract officially expiring on June 30, 2025. Authorities later renewed the agreement for an additional year through the Ministries of Energy, Finance, and the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA).

Under the renewed arrangement, Karpowership is expected to supply 45 Megawatts (MW) of electricity during the dry season and reduce output to 25 MW during the rainy season. However, from January 2026 to date, the company has reportedly been generating only between 5.6 MW and 6 MW for the national grid.

The sharp reduction in supply has contributed to persistent blackouts across the capital, forcing EDSA to intensify load shedding in several communities.

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Residents in eastern Freetown, including Rokupar, Wellington, Calaba Town, Allen Town, Portee and surrounding areas, have complained of receiving electricity only occasionally, with some neighborhoods spending days without stable power. Businesses, households and essential services have all been severely affected by the prolonged outages.

Public frustration has continued to mount despite assurances from government officials. The Minister of Energy recently apologized to citizens and promised that efforts were underway to address the crisis.

Concerns deepened further after EDSA announced on May 12, 2026, that together with the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC), it would conduct scheduled annual maintenance on the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Power Station and the 161kV transmission line.

According to the notice, maintenance work began at 1:00 AM on Monday, May 18, and is expected to continue until 6:00 PM on Friday, May 29, 2026. During the exercise, the Bumbuna facility and its transmission infrastructure are expected to remain temporarily shut down to allow engineers to carry out critical safety and operational work.

The shutdown has further reduced electricity supply to Freetown, Makeni and Magburaka.

EDSA stated that thermal diesel generators in Freetown, Makeni and Magburaka would be activated during the maintenance period, while Independent Power Producers, including Karpowership and Planet Solar, were expected to increase generation to help stabilize the national grid.

However, many residents are now questioning why Karpowership has not substantially increased its output during the maintenance period, especially as the current contract still obligates the company to provide up to 45 MW during the dry season.

Energy sector analysts say the major challenge remains the unresolved financial dispute between the Government and Karpowership over unpaid arrears. The reported debt burden is believed to have limited the company’s willingness or operational capacity to ramp up electricity production beyond the current reduced level.

Authorities insist that the annual maintenance of the Bumbuna facility is mandatory under international engineering and safety standards. Officials argue that carrying out the exercise during the peak dry season – when hydroelectric generation is naturally at its lowest – is necessary to prevent larger system failures and protect the long-term reliability of Sierra Leone’s primary hydroelectric asset.

As Freetown experiences one of its most severe electricity shortages in recent months, concerns are growing over the sustainability of Sierra Leone’s power supply strategy and the government’s ability to manage long-standing obligations within the energy sector.