December 05, 2017•Update: December 06, 2017
by Alpha Kamara
DAKAR, Senegal
The government of Sierra Leone on Monday announced a major Cabinet reshuffle just months before elections.
An official press release said the government made former Finance Minister and Bank Governor Kaifala Marrah the new foreign minister, taking over from Samura Kamara, the ruling APC party’s presidential candidate for the coming general elections.
Kamara stepped down in line with the Constitution and the busy campaign ahead.
On a recent visit to Gambia, President Bai Koroma, accompanied by Samura, told Sierra Leoneans in Banjul that he believes in Kamara succeeding him.
Sierra Leone is set to go to the polls in March 2018 and the stakes are high. Fourteen political parties are contesting for the presidency to replace Koroma, whose second and final term is coming to an end.
Top contenders are former UNIDO Chief Kandeh Yumkella of the Grand Allaince party, former military leader Julius Maada Bio of the main opposition SLPP Party, and Samura Kamara of the ruling APC Party.
Other new ministers were also brought in Monday’s reshuffle.
