Residents of Calaba Town and surrounding communities in Wellington, Freetown, have reportedly continued to endure a prolonged electricity blackout that has lasted for more than one month, raising concerns over the growing impact on households and businesses in the eastern part of Freetown.

Speaking to local media, Isatu Kabia, a resident of Jabbie Street in Calaba Town, said the situation has become increasingly difficult for residents who now struggle daily to charge their phones and power essential appliances.

Kabia explained that many residents spend more than Le8 every day just to charge their mobile phones due to the absence of electricity in the community. She added that the prolonged outage has created serious hardship for families and small business owners who depend on electricity for their daily activities.

Business operators in the affected communities also expressed frustration over the persistent blackout, saying the situation has negatively affected their sources of income. Some food vendors noted that they are no longer able to prepare and preserve food because their freezers are not functioning without electricity.

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“We used to prepare up to five meals a day and preserve them in our freezers, but this persistent blackout has made that impossible,” one resident said.

The concerns were discussed during an interview on Truth Media, where Sierra Leone’s Minister of Energy, Cyril Arnold Grant, attributed the electricity challenges in Calaba Town and surrounding communities to weaknesses within the power distribution network and the topography of the area.

According to the minister, several transformers serving those communities have become old and unable to effectively handle the growing demand for electricity. He further stated that rapid population growth in the eastern communities has increased pressure on the distribution system, making it difficult for stable electricity supply to reach some areas.

Grant also disclosed that the government is currently carrying out maintenance work at the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Power Station, prompting authorities to engage Karpowership to increase electricity generation from 45 megawatts to 60 megawatts in an effort to stabilize supply across Freetown, especially in the eastern part of the city.

Despite the increase in generation, residents in several eastern communities said the electricity situation has remained unstable. Residents of Peacock Farm in Wellington stated that they have gone for days without electricity since the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority announced a 12-day maintenance shutdown at Bumbuna.

Minister Grant maintained during the interview that with Karpowership supplying 60 megawatts of electricity, alongside generators operating at Blackhall Road, no community should experience a blackout lasting up to three days.

Meanwhile, affected residents continue to call for urgent intervention to restore stable electricity supply, arguing that the prolonged outage is disrupting daily life and threatening small businesses across Calaba Town and neighboring communities.