Ben Kaifala’s Awards, Sierra Leone’s Decline: When Anti-Corruption Becomes a Performance

Ben Kaifala

By Alpha Amadu Jalloh

Sierra Leone has recently been handed something of a paradox wrapped in irony. While our Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala, continues to collect accolades and praise, seemingly in recognition of progress, the nation’s corruption indicators have slipped, painting a far grimmer reality. Transparency International’s latest 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index places us 114th out of 180 countries, with a score of 33 out of 100. This is a decline of two places and two points from our previous position of 108 and score of 35 in 2023.

> Transparency International 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index:

Sierra Leone ranks 114 out of 180 with a score of 33 out of 100, dropping two steps below its 2023 position of 108 with a score of 35.

These numbers cannot be ignored. Yet while our CPI rank has dropped, the Commissioner’s narrative continues to be one of triumph. His tally of awards, his public spin that “Sierra Leone is progressing,” all this amid nationwide disillusionment, begs the question: where is this improvement?

Commissioner Kaifala has repeatedly emphasized progress. He proudly announced Sierra Leone’s previous 108th rank, boasting a score above the Sub-Saharan average, and lauded the establishment of ACC’s impressive Integrity House in Freetown. Until a few months ago, the narrative read like a success story. Ranking climbed from 130 in 2017 to 108 in 2023, twenty-two places of improvement in six years.

But the 2024 turning point should have prompted a course correction. Instead, some within the ACC appear to frame the decline as just a temporary bump. The discrepancy matters. Public trust is not built on press releases or plush headquarters. It is earned by tackling the entrenched corruption that impacts health, education, policing, and public service delivery. Transparency International’s in-depth analysis underscores just how pervasive this corruption remains. It highlights that corrupt practices have penetrated key sectors and that our institutions remain fragile, politicized, and often ineffective.

The greater tragedy is not only the decline in our CPI score. It is the ongoing denial, the deflection, the finger-pointing at “perceptions” rather than real practices. Meanwhile, Sierra Leoneans continue to be fleeced. Bribes to access public services remain the norm. This is not about perception. It is real money leaving citizens in despair.

Even more painful is the erosion of national identity. When we, the people, have to resort to bribery and patronage just to survive, corruption becomes ingrained. It becomes a cultural shame, something we expect and struggle silently against. Against this backdrop of systemic decay, the ACC’s progress narrative feels hollow.

There has been a glimmer of hope. The ACC recently initiated a lifestyle audit and secured an indictment against Abu Bakar Kamara, a move seemingly aimed at demonstrating resolve. But progress that chases headlines rather than accountability is dangerously incomplete. If this audit truly signified a shift toward transparency and fairness, why is the Commissioner himself not subject to scrutiny? Why have powerful figures like the First Lady Fatima Bio or even Francis Ben Kaifala himself been spared investigation? Sierra Leoneans are expected to trust institutions that selectively prosecute.

An anti-corruption body that only investigates the powerless but shields the powerful is not an agency of justice. It is one of oppression. Our institutions must be non-partisan, fearless, and equitable in applying the law. The lack of accountability at the top suggests political interference. It undermines not only the ACC’s credibility but the very essence of democratic governance.

Transparency International’s 2024 CPI does not just drop numbers. It sends a warning. It highlights that corruption remains a significant barrier to governance, urging stronger accountability, merit-based appointments, and strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws. This message should serve as a moment of reckoning, not spin control.

Here is what Sierra Leoneans deserve from their institutions. The ACC must operate without fear or favor, targeting all credible allegations, even those against the highest offices. Investigations should include top officials and their family members if evidence warrants. Selective prosecution only fuels cynicism. The ACC must also publish meaningful metrics, not just CPI ranks or moving headquarters, but convictions, case outcomes, timelines, and follow-through. The fight against corruption is not just about the ACC. The legislature, judiciary, civil service, and oversight bodies must all do better or resign to their failure. Civil society, journalists, and citizens must be empowered to demand answers, with their voices and platforms protected as they hold power to account.

A two-step drop in Transparency International’s 2024 index may sound marginal. But for Sierra Leone, it is a glaring symptom of stagnation or worse, selective commitment. Citizens are being fleeced of resources, of opportunities, and of dignity. Behind Integrity House and PR campaigns are communities still paying bribes for medicine, security, and schools.

Commissioner Kaifala’s awards and accolades cannot be allowed to distract from the grim data and the lived experiences of Sierra Leoneans. If our identity as a nation is to be restored, if our institutions are to gain genuine legitimacy, then reform must be real, inclusive, and fearless. To the Commissioner, the First Lady, and all top officials, explain this. How is it that with awards and prestigious offices, our CPI ranking falls, our citizens suffer, and our anti-corruption ambitions ring hollow?

Sierra Leone deserves more than spin. We deserve justice, accountability, and a government that upholds the values it preaches. Leaders must fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity. Until then, the corruption will not just be in the score. It will be in our future.