By Aminata Abu Bakarr Kamara
For the people of Kagboro Chiefdom in Moyamba District, traveling to other parts of Sierra Leone has become a struggle for survival rather than a journey. The long-neglected Moyamba–Shenge road, once a vital link connecting communities to trade, healthcare, and education, has now become a symbol of abandonment and government inaction.
Decades of neglect have left the road nearly impassable. Deep gullies, broken bridges, and flooded passages have isolated thousands of residents, forcing them to rely on risky river transport for their daily movement. In the rainy season, the road virtually disappears cutting off Kagboro from the rest of the country.
“This is not just about bad roads. It’s about life and death,” said Muniru Salifu Will, Secretary General of the Kagboro Descendants Association. “Ambulances can’t reach our communities, pregnant women die before getting to hospitals, and schoolchildren sometimes miss classes for weeks.”
The consequences have been devastating. In 2009, a passenger boat carrying villagers capsized on its way to Kagboro, claiming an estimated 250 lives one of the worst maritime tragedies in Sierra Leone’s history. Years later, another boat carrying over 100 passengers went missing during a storm, reigniting public anger over the government’s failure to fix the road.
Residents say they are tired of broken promises. Despite public assurances from government officials including a commitment by President Julius Maada Bio to rehabilitate the Moyamba–Shenge road the situation remains unchanged.
“The neglect of this road reflects a larger problem of inequality in national development,” said a local teacher who preferred anonymity. “Freetown gets new roads every few years, but we in Kagboro still depend on canoes to reach a hospital or market. Are we not part of Sierra Leone?
Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay, who represents the constituency, has repeatedly called for government intervention, but the silence continues. The community now plans to appeal directly to the Speaker of Parliament and the President, demanding that the Moyamba–Shenge road be treated as a national emergency.
For Kagboro residents, fixing the road is not just about transportation it is about restoring dignity, saving lives, and giving hope to a community that has suffered for far too long.
“The Moyamba–Shenge road is our only lifeline,” Mr. Will emphasized. “Without it, we are cut off from the rest of the country. We are Sierra Leoneans too and we deserve better.”
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 15th October 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
