Sierra Leone's applause economy silences truth
Political loyalty is often mistaken for public service in Sierra Leone, with praise becoming a currency and silence the price for inclusion.
In Sierra Leone, political power is often surrounded by applause that grows louder with appointments and fades as leaders near the end of their term. This phenomenon, termed the 'applause economy' by Yoni Emmanuel Sesay, involves praise as currency, loyalty as investment, and access as a dividend. Silence becomes the price paid for continued inclusion, drowning out truths and costing the country.
Sesay noted that this culture of mistaking personal loyalty for public service is not new to Sierra Leone and did not begin with President Julius Maada Bio, whose presidency concludes in 2028. He recalled the administration of former President Ernest Bai Koroma, where agreement with the president was often treated as the highest loyalty, and criticism was sometimes seen as hostility.
The 2018 election demonstrated the transferable nature of political allegiance when political rewards shifted. Sesay observed that while changing parties is not inherently dishonourable, allegiance can become remarkably transferable when political advancement depends solely on access to power. He advised those currently surrounding President Bio to remember this historical lesson.
Why it mattersPolitical allegiance in Sierra Leone is becoming transferable based on access to power, affecting the country's governance and public service.