Chief Minister David Sengeh Reaffirms His Loyalty to Sierra Leone
Salamatu Y. Kamara Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, has made a powerful declaration of national identity and loyalty, insisting he has held only one passport and one citizenship throughout his life — that of Sierra Leone.
In a brief statement posted on Facebook, Sengeh wrote: “I’ve only ever had 1 passport in my life. One citizenship, one nationality, one Sierra Leone. I pledge my love and loyalty. #GenD”
The statement, though short, has sparked wide conversation online, with many Sierra Leoneans interpreting it as a reaffirmation of patriotism, integrity, and undivided allegiance, while others are questioning his statement.
Born and raised in Sierra Leone, Sengeh left as a young man to study abroad — attending the Red Cross Nordic United World College in Norway, Harvard College in the United States, and later earning his Master’s and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He spent more than a decade living, studying and working in the United States, including as a Research Scientist at IBM Research Africa, before returning home to serve.
Despite years of residence and professional success abroad, Sengeh has repeatedly said he never pursued American citizenship, even when he was eligible to do so.
His wife, Kate Krontiris Sengeh, took the opposite journey. An American by birth who left her family in the United States to build a life in Sierra Leone, she became a Sierra Leonean citizen in May 2026 after eight years as a legal resident married to a Sierra Leonean, taking the Oath of Allegiance before President Julius Maada Bio. She received her Sierra Leonean passport in June 2026 — one of the first issued under the country’s new fully digitised passport system.