The Makeni–Kabala Highway, once a proud artery linking Sierra Leone’s Northern Province to the rest of the nation, has now become a symbol of betrayal. What should be a lifeline for trade, travel, and development has been reduced to a death trap a road of broken promises and shattered hopes.
Once a 90-minute journey, the trip now drags on for more than four hours, thanks to deep potholes, erosion, and long stretches of damaged surface. Accidents are frequent, with timber trucks and passenger buses colliding on treacherous stretches. Public transport vehicles often get stuck, leaving passengers stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Agriculture crippled: Koinadugu District, rich in farm produce, cannot get its goods to market efficiently. Farmers lose income, and food security suffers. The Tourism potential has also been wasted as Kabala, with its scenic mountains and cultural heritage, could be a hub for tourism. Instead, poor road infrastructure deters investment and visitors.
The government’s silence is deafening. Opposition MPs have rightly called out this neglect, labeling the highway a “death trap.” But condemnation alone is not enough. The people of Makeni, Kabala, Falaba, and Koinadugu deserve more than words they deserve action.
Neglecting the Makeni–Kabala road is not just about infrastructure. It is about equity and justice. When a government abandons a region’s lifeline, it abandons its people. It signals that some citizens matter less, that their safety, livelihoods, and dignity are expendable.
The Informant Newspaper demands the immediate rehabilitation of the Makeni–Kabala Highway, Transparent timelines for reconstruction, not empty promises and Accountability from leaders who have allowed this neglect to persist.
Makeni and Kabala are not forgotten towns they are Sierra Leone’s beating heart in the north. To abandon their road is to abandon their future. The government must act, not tomorrow, not next year, but now.