Rural Voices Say TRC’s Decentralization Dream Is Fading 

By Alvin Lansana Kargbo (ATJLF/MRCG Fellow 2025)

Twenty years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Sierra Leone recommended decentralisation as a key mechanism for peacebuilding and national reconciliation, many rural-based organisations argue that the country is yet to see the full benefits of this reform.

Although local councils were reintroduced in 2004 with the enactment of the Local Government Act, critics say that the devolution of power remains largely cosmetic. Provincial-based civil society organisations report that decision-making and financial control continue to be concentrated in Freetown, undermining efforts to empower communities and promote inclusive governance.

Sahr Kamanda, Programme Coordinator of the Kailahun District Development Network, believes decentralisation has not gone beyond the surface level in eastern Sierra Leone.