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Kono district is one of the most diverse districts in Sierra Leone. It is home to a large population of many ethnic groups with no single ethnic group forming a majority.
Koidu town or Sefadu is the capital and largest city of the diamond-rich Kono district in the Eastern province of Sierra Leone. The population of Koidu Town is 224,662 based on the 2022 Sierra Leone national census.
Koidu town is the fifth largest city in Sierra Leone by population, after Freetown, Kenema, Bo and Makeni. Koidu town is a major urban, business, commercial and diamond trade centre, it lies approximately 280 miles east of Freetown, and about 60 miles North of Kenema. Two of the world’s ten largest and most famous rough diamonds were found in Woyie River which flows through Koidu Town popularly called Koidu city.
The mayor of Koidu and members of the Koidu-New Sembehun city council are directly elected every four years by the residents of Koidu.
The current mayor of Koidu Town is Komba Sam of the Coalition 4 Change Political Party. Komba Sam was narrowly elected as the mayor of Koidu Town with 49.5% of the votes in the 2018 Koidu mayoral election over his rival of the Sierra Leone people’s party.
Politically, Koidu Town is not a stronghold of any political party, as the city is home to significantly large support from both the SLPP and the APC. Koidu is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse cities in Sierra Leone. The city is inhabited by significant numbers of many of Sierra Leone’s ethnic groups, with no single ethnic group forming a majority.
The Krio language is by far the most widely spoken language in Koidu Town and is the primary language of communication in the city.
Koidu town is the home town of Sierra Leone’s vice president Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, First Lady Fatima Jabbe Bio and former vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana.
Before the civil war, Kono District had a population of over 700,000. The civil war forced many residents out of the district, the district was heavily looted and constantly fought over due to the rich diamond deposits in the area.
