There is growing concern over the sale of Kenema Airfield, which could lead to serious consequences if not addressed immediately.

The Minister of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning, Dr. Turad Senesie, is currently facing challenges due to the disagreement with the Land Owning Families of Tissor Gombu and Koobu over the Kenema Airfield.

Reports indicate that the Minister has threatened to demolish any structure on the airfield that is not recognized by the Ministry. The Minister has expressed dissatisfaction over the construction works that have rendered the airfield useless for its initial purpose.

It has been announced that the government will re-survey the land to determine the level of encroachment before making a final decision on the utilization of the land. After the re-survey, the government plans to sell some portion of the land to the public, stating that the Kenema Airfield is state property and will be utilized in the best interest of the country.

The Minister has proposed to use the Airfield as a Micro Economic Zone to benefit the entire Eastern region and Sierra Leone. This will enable various business platforms with unique allocations to ensure standards, similar to practices in other countries.

The Minister has cautioned the public not to engage in business with those claiming to be land owning families with regards to the airfield.

The former Member of Parliament, serving as the land vendor for Tissor Gombu and Koobu families, has stated that they have taken back their land as it is no longer being used for its intended purpose and the lease is not being paid by the government. He warned the public not to engage in any business with the Ministry of Lands regarding the airfield.

The former Member of Parliament accused the Minister of Land of inciting violence in Kenema under President Julius Maada Bio’s regime. He also accused specific individuals of using the name of the government to intimidate people with the intention of grabbing their land for personal use.

The former Member of Parliament emphasized that the Ministry of Aviation should be the one discussing the airfield and not the Ministry of Lands.

Historically, the Kenema Airfield started operations in the 1950s when the Land Owning Families at that time leased the said portion to the government.