Since the unveiling of Kandeh Yumkella’s (KKY) campaign poster just two days ago, declaring his ambition for the SLPP Presidential candidacy, reactions from Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad have been swift, sharp—and largely negative.
But why all the hostility? After all, KKY was once hailed as a potential “Moses” for Sierra Leone, a man destined to lead his people out of the political wilderness. Yet, through a series of spectacular missteps at his former party, the NGC, he allowed this once-glowing perception to evaporate. He has squandered the goodwill of thousands.
In truth, he now faces a mountain so steep that even a seasoned mountaineer would hesitate to take the first step. And unless he attempts something utterly uncharacteristic, it is difficult to imagine him emerging as the SLPP’s flagbearer. Keep reading, and you’ll discover precisely what that ‘something’ is.
KKY must overcome not one, but two formidable obstacles—each increasingly daunting:
First hurdle: Popularity—or the lack thereof within the SLPP.
His competitors are not to be underestimated, and the party has a long tradition of voting not for competence, but for likeability. In the SLPP universe, personality often trumps performance. One may promise to build bridges in the clouds or harness electricity from distant galaxies to light every village; it matters not. If the grassroots and kingmakers of the SLPP do not “like” you, your fate is sealed. And alas, KKY must contend with this inconvenient truth.
Second hurdle: His fiercest critics are not the opposition, but his own former comrades from the NGC.
The party now languishes as a hollow echo of its short-lived glory. Many still recall, with bitterness, the disdain with which KKY once addressed the diaspora financiers and loyal supporters of that movement. His tone, they say, was laced with disrespect, leaving a trail of disillusionment so deep that numerous members resigned in protest.
And then came the move that some consider his ultimate betrayal: defecting to the very SLPP he once denounced in fiery tones. To his former allies, this volte-face was not just hypocrisy—it was the final nail in the coffin of his credibility.
Hence the bitter irony of his poster’s slogan: “The only candidate who can win the confidence of citizens nationwide.” For many, confidence in him is precisely what is absent. Instead, mistrust reigns supreme, and some of his old NGC ambassadors have vowed to ensure that KKY’s political career never recovers from what they view as his arrogance and selfishness.
Yet—and here lies the rub—his predicament is not entirely unsalvageable. There is still hope for him, but he must act decisively. Redemption could be his, if only he would seize it.
All KKY need do is swallow his pride, convene a press conference, invite his former NGC colleagues, and publicly acknowledge his misjudgements. An unreserved and heartfelt apology—delivered not with pomposity but with humility—could mend bridges thought irreparably burned. Forgiveness, after all, is not alien to Sierra Leoneans.
But therein lies the catch. KKY, it is said, is a man who does not apologise. In fact, his critics call him “Mr. Pomposity,” the archetypal know-it-all who wears arrogance like a second skin.
If this reputation proves true, then his cherished ambition to govern Sierra Leone will remain just that—an ambition. For in politics, as in life, the proud must learn to bow before they can hope to lead. Even Moses had to bend before he could lead his people to the Promised Land.
