Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella’s recent exclusion from the SLPP flagbearer race has reignited debates about trust, performance, and betrayal in Sierra Leone’s politics, though no official announcement has been made.
Once celebrated as a symbol of change and hope, Yumkella’s decision to align with President Julius Maada Bio has left many questioning not only his commitment to the values he once championed but also his effectiveness in the role he was entrusted with.
Yumkella’s National Grand Coalition (NGC) emerged as a promising third force, offering an alternative to the two dominant parties, the APC and SLPP.
Its success at the Freetown convention was seen as a sign of growing strength and influence. However, Yumkella’s decision to merge the NGC’s efforts with the SLPP in exchange for a political alliance not only dissolved the party’s independence but also betrayed the trust of its supporters and many Sierra Leoneans.
This isn’t the first time Sierra Leoneans have witnessed such political betrayals.
The late Thaimu Bangura of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Sobbeh, Mohamed Bangura of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), and Charles Margai of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) all started as leaders of movements meant to challenge the political status quo.
Yet, each of these figures eventually struck deals with either the APC or SLPP, abandoning their vision of a third force and leaving their supporters disillusioned.
Yumkella’s case, however, demands an even closer examination of his performance in the role President Bio entrusted him with.
Appointed Chair with Cabinet rank for Food Security, Climate Change and renewable Energy(a role requiring verification but widely referenced), Yumkella had promised transformative outcomes.
Early on, he spoke about working with five key ministries to advance President Bio’s agenda. However, under his watch:
•Food security: Rice imports have attracted a 5% tax, which has been further increased to 10%, exacerbating the hunger crisis.
•Energy access: Despite lofty goals, energy access remains a pipe dream for many Sierra Leoneans, with rural communities left in darkness.
•Sustainability: The recent removal of the timber export ban raises questions about his oversight in sustainability efforts.
What tangible results can Yumkella point to in this role? Despite his claims during the election campaign that he was “ready to work to deliver Bio’s agenda,” the outcomes paint a grim picture of unfulfilled promises.
President Bio’s recent remarks during a town hall meeting confirmed the transactional nature of their alliance.
Bio revealed that Yumkella had planned to retire but agreed to support his second term before stepping back.
With this revelation, it became clear that the alliance served Bio’s agenda, leaving Yumkella with little to show for his sacrifice.
A recent poll among SLPP supporters highlights Yumkella’s diminishing influence.
Out of 200 respondents, only 1% viewed him as a viable successor to President Bio, compared to Vice President Juldeh Jalloh’s 35% and Sidie Tunis’s 33%.
This harsh result underscores how far Yumkella has fallen in the eyes of both his allies and his former supporters.
When asked for a comment about Yumkella’s apparent demise, Alan Luke, a former NGC National Executive Committee (NEC) Member who resigned from the party in January 2023, remarked:
“The SLPP members have remained firm in their contempt and loathing of Yumkella, whom they regard as coming from the UN garage. Yumkella has been brutally exposed as a political novice, who deserves the contempt and loathing he has received for his and the NGC’s betrayal of the aspirations of Sierra Leoneans.”
The pattern is painfully familiar. In a political landscape yearning for alternatives, leaders like Yumkella have repeatedly raised hopes only to dash them by choosing personal ambition over principle.
The NGC, like the PDP Sobbeh, UDM, and PMDC before it, now exists only as a reminder of what could have been.
As Sierra Leoneans look to the future, the need for leaders who truly prioritize the people over politics is clearer than ever.
Dr. Yumkella’s story serves as a warning: trust is hard-earned but easily lost, and betrayal leaves a stain that time cannot erase.
For a country still searching for lasting change, these lessons must not be ignored.