Mohamed Jaward Nyallay, AYV News, June 17, 2025
Government, citizens and local authorities are all heading to the eastern district of Kenema for the Presidential Town Hall. This is the first time a Presidential Town Hall will be held outside the capital, Freetown.
The event will take place at the Kenema City Hall, which will host up to two thousand people.
Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, said the move is to ensure “we decentralise major events like these to other areas of the country.”
“We want to make sure everyone in this country has access to the Presidency. President Bio is also committed to listening and answering questions directly from people,” Minister Bah said.
Last year, the ministry hosted President Bio in a Presidential Town Hall for the first time in history, with the President directly answering questions received from the public in a live three hour event.
The President covered important subjects like Youth employment, Feed Salone and Sierra Leone’s aspiration on the global stage with foreign policy and diplomacy.
Minister Bah said hundreds of questions are in already. “We have had questions from people across the country, mostly young people, on issues like Feed Salone, Energy and on the future of the Free Quality Education, which is an important legacy of the President. We are just a channel to group these questions into themes and ask them on behalf of everyone,” he said.
Residents in Kenema are already excited about the prospects of this event and the significance it holds for their district.
The 2025 Presidential Town Hall officially opened yesterday in with a strong focus on civic engagement, kicking off with a student quiz and debating competition involving seven secondary schools from across the region.
The competition, organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education and led by Mohamed Jaward Nyallay, featured three intensive rounds testing students’ knowledge of governance, citizenship, and public service. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to increase civic participation and national awareness among Sierra Leone’s youth.
The event marks a historic moment as it is the first time a Presidential Town Hall is being held outside of Freetown, with Kenema City Hall hosting hundreds of citizens, government officials, and local leaders.
The Presidential Town Hall is designed to promote transparency and interaction between the public and the presidency, with President Julius Maada Bio expected to answer live questions from citizens during the course of the event.
The quiz and debate are seen as a key feature of the civic education component, showcasing the knowledge and leadership potential of Sierra Leone’s next generation.
