Makeni Blackout Deepens as Civil Society, Traders and Bike Riders Demand Urgent Action
Sahid Bangura A coalition of civil society organisations, journalists, traders and commercial bike riders in Makeni is intensifying pressure on authorities to resolve the city’s prolonged electricity blackout, warning that businesses are facing growing losses and possible closure.
The group, drawn from across Bombali District, held talks two weeks ago with officials from the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC) in an effort to address the worsening power situation.
According to members of the coalition, electricity supply showed signs of improvement within 48 hours after the meeting. However, they say the progress was short-lived, as large parts of Makeni have once again been plunged into darkness.
Local businesses say they are bearing the brunt of the ongoing outage. Restaurant operators, fisheries, water bottling companies and traders dealing in perishable goods report mounting financial strain due to the lack of reliable electricity.
Some business owners warn that if the situation persists, they may be forced to shut down operations entirely.
Traders in perishable goods say they are incurring daily losses as they struggle to preserve stock without refrigeration, while bike riders and other informal workers note that the blackout is also affecting their ability to earn a living in a city increasingly slowed by unreliable power.
The coalition is now calling on EDSA and EGTC to provide a clear and lasting solution, urging authorities to prioritise Makeni’s electricity supply to prevent further economic damage.
They maintain that without urgent intervention, the prolonged blackout could have deeper consequences for livelihoods and the local economy.
Please tell those who hate development for Sierra Leone to stop cutting the cables and burning the transformers. Salone nar we all gettam. Peace.
Let Makeni taste the bitterness of electricity power failure. For years other parts of the country were in darkness while Makeni was basking in 24/7 continuous electricity supply from Bumbuna, generators and the national power grid. They are no better than cities in other parts of the country. If other parts of the country can endure electricity power failure for years without complaining, why can’t Makeni equally endure it in silence? Besides, when government installs generators to ameliorate the situation, the youths of Makeni vandalise them by cutting the cables and setting fire on them. So who is to blame for the present predicament of Makeni? Somebody tell me please.