By mohamedj.bah@awokonewspapersl.com
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, August 12, 2026
All People’s Congress (APC) flagbearer aspirant Sheikh Alhaji Chief Mohamed “Omodu” Kamara, popularly known as Jagaban, is taking his community development drive across Sierra Leone with a US$2 million initiative providing free solar streetlights and boreholes to communities in need.
The initiative, first announced during a press briefing with major media houses in Freetown, includes 5,000 solar streetlights manufactured by KF Solar in China, along with borehole drilling equipment to help address water shortages in communities across the country.
According to Jagaban, the initiative is driven by two basic needs he considers critical to communities’ access to light and clean water. He said the intervention is intended to benefit Sierra Leoneans regardless of their political affiliation.
He explained that the solar streetlights would be provided and installed free of charge, warning members of the public to report anyone demanding money in his name for the installation of the lights to the police.
Jagaban said the project would be implemented in consultation with APC leaders, councilors, Members of Parliament and other community stakeholders, who would help identify areas where the need for street lighting and water facilities is greatest.
Beyond political structures, he said the initiative would also reach religious institutions, traditional leaders, schools and other underserved communities, reflecting what he described as a broad-based approach to community development.
The solar lights, according to Jagaban, come with a five-year warranty and will be installed and monitored by qualified engineers to ensure sustainability and proper maintenance of the facilities.
The nationwide initiative has since begun taking shape at the community level, with Zimmi in Pujehun District becoming one of the areas to benefit from the solar street lighting intervention.
A couple of months ago, Jagaban and his entourage stopped at Bandajuma Sowa and Potoru on their way to Zimmi, where they engaged APC grassroots supporters. Residents of Potoru had expressed a strong desire to meet the APC flagbearer aspirant and publicly communicate their support for his candidacy ahead of the party’s National Delegates Conference.
In Zimmi, the APC Constituency 101 Chairman, Mr. Dauda Vanwah Koroma, formally received the solar street lighting project on behalf of the APC District Chairman, Dr. Woo, and his executive at the Zimmi headquarters. He thanked Jagaban and his delegation for bringing the development initiative to Pujehun.
Jagaban expressed appreciation to the people of Pujehun for their warm reception and large turnout, saying the response demonstrated a strong appetite among communities for development initiatives capable of improving everyday life.
The political and grassroots significance of the visit was underscored by enthusiastic chants from residents in Zimmi, who repeatedly declared in Krio, “2028 na Jagaban we want!” Supporters described the response as a strong indication of grassroots confidence in his leadership ambition ahead of the APC flagbearer contest.
With the solar streetlight rollout now reaching communities such as Zimmi, Jagaban’s initiative is increasingly linking his political aspirations with visible community-level interventions, particularly in areas where access to electricity and water remains a challenge.
The Pujehun intervention therefore marks another stage in Jagaban’sbroader development campaign, combining community infrastructure, grassroots engagement and a stated commitment to making basic services such as light and water more accessible to Sierra Leoneans.
