Last Friday, the High Court of Sierra Leone issued an interim order in a commercial dispute involving David Kpakima, a local technology entrepreneur and co-founder of several companies operating within the country’s digital infrastructure space.
The order preserves existing shareholding and governance arrangements and restrains any actions that could alter control or operations while the matter before the court is examined. It is not a final judgment, but it is a significant procedural step.
To appreciate why this matters, it is necessary to understand how this journey began.
From Vision to Infrastructure:
David Kpakima’s work in the technology sector predates the companies now associated with his name. As early as 2019, he pursued a clear objective: to strengthen Sierra Leone’s digital resilience by expanding connectivity and reducing dependence on a single international gateway.
That objective took shape during the Government of Sierra Leone’s process to commercialise the national submarine cable system. Zoodlabs emerged as the successful bidder in December 2020, with Kpakima serving as the operating partner responsible for execution and transition.
The transition was challenging. Promised start-up capital did not materialise at a critical early stage, even as inherited liabilities and government-mandated transition costs became due. Faced with the risk of operational failure, Kpakimasecured approximately USD 2 million in domestic debt financing from a local bank, relying on professional credibility rather than equity guarantees. This financing stabilised operations, cleared legacy obligations, and ensured service continuity at a time of national importance.
Under this operational leadership, international bandwidth capacity increased significantly, wholesale prices fell, and market access improved. The limits of the system, however, soon became clear: without terrestrial fibre, increased capacity could not reach end users at scale.
To address this, Metro Cable SL Limited was established and delivered as a turnkey project, funded through domestic financing and operational cashflows rather than equity injections. By late 2022, the network had achieved full urban coverage in Freetown and now operates as a core carrier supporting multiple service providers.
From this foundation grew additional enterprises, including FiberOne, Vult, and One Mobile, each designed to expand market reach and deepen service delivery. Together, these businesses employ hundreds of Sierra Leoneans and generate billions of leones annually through taxes, licence fees, and statutory contributions across sectors such as banking, education, commerce, and public administration.
Governance Strain and Due Process:
As enterprises grow, relationships often become more complex. Disagreements over control, governance, and strategy are not uncommon, particularly where operational leadership and capital ownership are distinct.
In this case, those tensions culminated in David Kpakima’ssuspension from companies he helped build, accompanied by public allegations of mismanagement and fraud. These claims were made without prior judicial determination.
Rather than engage in public confrontation, Kpakima placed the matter before the courts and submitted himself to formal scrutiny. The High Court’s interim order must be understood in that context.
By preserving the status quo and restraining unilateral action, the court has ensured that no irreversible steps are taken before the dispute is fully heard. This is a core function of judicial intervention in commercial disputes: to protect value and allow evidence, not leverage, to determine outcomes.
A Broader Message:
This ruling carries implications beyond the immediate parties. It speaks to the environment in which local entrepreneurs operate and to the importance of governance frameworks that recognise power imbalances and protect enterprise value.
Financiers are essential partners in growth. But sustainable enterprise depends on accountability, fairness, and respect for due process.
This is not a moment for triumphalism. It is a moment for reflection — and for confidence that institutions can still play their role when tested.
