Mounting frustration is boiling over among ordinary Sierra Leoneans as reports suggest that both the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) have quietly aligned themselves with the controversial toll gate operators.
Citizens, already burdened by rising costs of living, accuse the country’s two dominant political parties of collusion at the expense of the public.
For commuters, traders, and transport workers, toll fees have become a daily punishment. Many argue that the charges are excessive, draining household incomes, and inflating the cost of goods. “We are suffering while politicians are dining with the toll gate owners,” lamented one driver on the Wellington–Masiaka highway.
A senior staff member of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority, who asks not to be named, claims that both APC and SLPP have benefited from the toll gate arrangement, either through political patronage or financial interests. This perception has fueled anger, with many Sierra Leoneans feeling betrayed by leaders who promised relief but instead appear to protect the status quo.
Civil society organizations have demanded clarity on the contracts governing toll operations. They argue that the lack of transparency fuels suspicion of backroom deals between political elites and private operators. “If the toll is truly for development, then let the government open the books,” one activist insisted.
The toll gate saga has become emblematic of a deeper crisis: citizens’ trust in political leadership. With both major parties accused of complicity, many Sierra Leoneans feel politically cornered, with no genuine champion of their struggles.
As Sierra Leoneans continue to suffer under the weight of toll fees, the alleged partnership between APC and SLPP with toll operators raises troubling questions about governance, accountability, and whose interests truly matter. Until transparency and reform are prioritized, the toll gate will remain not just a roadblock on the highway, but a symbol of betrayal in the nation’s politics.