Freetown Goes Dark Again

A university student prepares for his exams somewhere in Freetown.

The capital city of Sierra Leone, Freetown, along with other urban areas, finds itself ensnared in a prolonged blackout, casting its residents into darkness for weeks. The root cause? Unsettled electricity bills owed to power providers, particularly Karpowership, the Turkish vessel that predominantly fuels Freetown’s power grid. Despite assurances from the finance minister to resolve the outstanding debt, Karpowership has scaled back electricity provision drastically, reducing the supply from 60 megawatts to a mere six megawatts, sufficient only for vital services.

For the inhabitants of Freetown, the blackout has become an all-too-familiar ordeal, disrupting daily routines and plunging households, businesses, and medical facilities into chaos. The Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) attributes the persistent blackouts to a mix of insufficient generation capacity and maintenance issues, leaving residents grappling with extended periods of powerlessness.

Mariatu Sesay, a mother contending with the blackout’s challenges, describes the ordeal of managing daily life without electricity for her family, relying on gas stoves and candlelight. Abdul Kamara, a small business owner, laments the financial toll as customers dwindle due to the inability to operate without power. Even students like Fatmata Koroma struggle to study, relying on borrowed electricity and Wi-Fi access for academic pursuits.

The consequences extend to the medical sector, with hospitals relying on unreliable generators and turning away patients due to the inability to sustain operations. Safety concerns loom large for single residents like Hawa Bangura, fearing vulnerability to intruders in the darkness.

Businesses suffer losses as perishable goods spoil without refrigeration, exacerbating the economic strain on already struggling enterprises. In the face of mounting challenges, Freetown’s residents urge swift action from EDSA to rectify the blackout and restore reliable electricity. Until then, they must navigate the darkness with generators, candles, and flashlights, hoping for a swift resolution to alleviate their plight.