Bio appoints second batch of ministers

Following his earlier appointment of a first group of cabinet ministers that included new faces, Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, has appointed additional cabinet ministers.

In the initial set of appointments, David Sengeh, the former Minister of Basic Education, has now been appointed as Chief Minister, while Timothy Musa Kabba, previously the Minister of Mines, has taken on the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the latest round of appointments, several new ministers were named. Previously Minister of Western Area, Nabeela Tunis has been appointed Minister of Tourism. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, who was previously minister of information, has been appointed minister of employment. Chernoh C. Bah, a renowned women’s rights activist and founder of Purposeful, has been appointed as the Minister of Information. Additionally, the ministry of Information and Communication has been divided into two separate ministries: the ministry of Information and Civics, and the new ministry of Communication, Technology, and Innovation.

There were many long-standing members missing. However, Dr. Turad Senesis was among the few ministers retained by President Bio.

President Bio emerged victorious in a closely contested election, securing 56% of the total vote count. His main competitor, Dr. Samura Kamara, alleged electoral fraud and called for a rerun of the election. Kamara and his party have declared their refusal to participate in the government.