A New Era of Servant Leadership in Sierra Leone
by Ramie Saad – Global Campaign Coordinator –
August 2026 At a time when economic uncertainty and political fatigue weigh heavily on the average Sierra Leonean, a distinct voice of pragmatism, grassroots impact, and business acumen is capturing national attention. Sheikh Alhaji Mohamed Omodu Kamara popularly known as “Jagaban” is recasting what it means to be a servant-leader in Sierra Leonean politics.
Born in Blama, Small Bo Chiefdom, Kenema District, to a hardworking family, Jagaban’s journey from humble beginnings to building multi-million-dollar enterprises in the United States and Sierra Leone reads like a testament to resilience, self-reliance, and faith.
In a recent interview, he laid out a vision for the country built not on abstraction, but on tangible results, economic relief, and what he calls true servant leadership.
A Proven Executive: From $100 to Multi-Million-Dollar Enterprises Unlike many political figures who campaign on promise alone, Jagaban points to a track record. He began his healthcare and housing business in the United States with just $100 and grew it into an industry leader, earning top executive honours, years running in Prince George’s County, Maryland. That experience running complex, tightly regulated sectors abroad, he argues, is exactly the discipline Sierra Leone’s public institutions need. “Executive leadership requires discipline, financial prudence, and an unwavering focus on serving the people,” Jagaban says.
Practical Economic Interventions: A “Working Manifesto” For Jagaban, development is not confined to campaign booklets, it shows up, he says, in jobs and services delivered before a vote is ever cast. His initial fleet of twenty-five new, high-capacity commercial buses, part of a planned one hundred, is aimed at easing Freetown’s transport crisis while creating more than one hundred direct jobs and new tax revenue.
MOK-JAGABAN MOVEMENT A separate, multi-million-dollar plan to locally assemble more than 5,000 motorbikes is designed to turn young Sierra Leoneans into self-employed entrepreneurs rather than jobseekers. Alongside these ventures, Jagaban has backed interest-free revolving micro-grants for market women, food-support programs for vulnerable citizens, and targeted investment in local infrastructure, positioning himself, supporters say, as an active economic catalyst rather than a campaign-season visitor.
A Vision to Overhaul Healthcare and Essential Services Healthcare sits at the centre of Jagaban’s policy priorities. Drawing on decades of executive experience in the U.S. medical and social-assistance sectors, he argues that Sierra Leone’s mineral wealth should be channelled directly into public infrastructure, starting with modern, world-class hospitals, so citizens are no longer forced to seek basic medical care abroad. Rebuilding the Party from the Grassroots Jagaban’s commitment to the All People’s Congress (APC) extends well beyond campaign rhetoric. He has invested personal resources in reviving the party’s presence nationwide, funding local party offices in districts including Kono, Masiaka, Kenema, Bo, Port Loko, contributing more than $80,000 toward party membership cards, and supported the parliamentarians and councillors during the 2023 election boycott. Supporters credit the effort with reigniting enthusiasm among the party’s base across the country.
A Bridge-Builder for Regional and National Unity With family ties spanning the Southeast, and Northwest regions, from Blama to Port Loko and to Tonkolili — Jagaban positions himself as a figure capable of bridging regional divides and drawing Sierra Leoneans together under a shared national vision. Why Jagaban Is the Candidate to Watch Jagaban is not a “talking politician” he is a “working manifesto” who creates jobs and invests in local communities before taking office. “A politician should be a servant to the nation, not the other way around. True leadership is not about telling people to follow you — it is about doing the work that inspires them to join you.”
— Mohamed Omodu Jagaban (Jagaban) ### www.mokjagaban.com | 31 Wellington Street, Freetown, SL | info@mokjagaban.com
