In the history of every nation, there comes a moment when decisive leadership meets righteous ambition—and history is made. For Sierra Leone, that moment came in 2018 when His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, newly returned to the presidency, appointed Francis Ben Kaifala as Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). That singular act—bold, visionary, and politically risky—set in motion one of the most dramatic and effective anti-corruption efforts in the nation’s post-independence history.
President Bio, often called the “Talk and Do President,” had made anti-corruption the beating heart of his governance agenda. But what distinguishes him from others who have made similar promises was the political will to follow through, and the rare courage to empower institutions that could hold even his own government accountable. In appointing a young, reform-minded lawyer like Ben Kaifala to lead the ACC, President Bio did not just delegate responsibility—he signaled that no one would be shielded, and no institution would be sacred, in the fight against graft.
Kaifala rose to the challenge. And the results have been extraordinary.
In just five years, the ACC under Kaifala’s leadership has recovered over 76 million new Leones in stolen public funds—each cent returned to the national treasury. These are not hypothetical achievements but measurable wins that have been independently verified, internationally recognized, and widely celebrated. From high-profile prosecutions to quiet but determined enforcement, the ACC has shown that accountability is no longer optional in Sierra Leone.
Yet none of this would have been possible without a President who was willing to stay the course, even when the political cost was high. In many countries, anti-corruption efforts stall because they are sabotaged from the top. Not in Sierra Leone. Under President Bio’s stewardship, the ACC has not only gained legal teeth—through the 2019 amendments to the Anti-Corruption Act—but has also enjoyed institutional independence and operational freedom that are the envy of much of the region.
This combination of visionary political leadership and principled institutional drive is precisely what has earned Sierra Leone consistent praise from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Year after year, the country has passed the MCC’s “Control of Corruption” scorecard, climbing to a peak score of 76 percent in 2023—a clear sign to investors, donors, and citizens alike that Sierra Leone is serious about integrity.
But beyond statistics, President Bio and Ben Kaifala have changed something far deeper: the culture. What was once a resigned cynicism about public theft is now an active expectation for transparency. The ACC has become a people’s institution, thanks to the President’s unwavering support and Kaifala’s inclusive approach. From integrity clubs in schools to media campaigns and open town hall forums, Sierra Leoneans are now participants, not bystanders, in the national ethics agenda.
President Bio’s continued commitment is evident not just in word, but in policy and action. His support for the digitalization of asset declaration, his endorsement of a fully independent anti-corruption court, and his trust in the ACC to investigate even powerful actors within government—all these reflect a man who believes good governance is not just a slogan, but a moral imperative.
It is under this enabling climate that Ben Kaifala has also taken Sierra Leone’s message of accountability to the international stage. Whether at United Nations forums, the African Union, or high-level diplomatic engagements, Sierra Leone is no longer the example of what is broken—it is now a case study in what works. As Kaifala often says, “The law will follow you,” and under President Bio, that promise holds—whether for a clerk or a cabinet minister.
Even critics of the government now concede that on corruption, Sierra Leone is getting it right. Surveys by Afrobarometer and independent civil society groups report rising public confidence in the ACC, with approval ratings reaching over 90 percent in 2023. This is more than a policy victory; it is a shift in national identity.
None of this happened by accident. It required a leader willing to empower the brave, and a brave man willing to challenge the entrenched. In President Bio and Ben Kaifala, Sierra Leone has found both.
This is what reform looks like. This is what leadership delivers.
And this is how a small West African country, long scarred by corruption, is now becoming a beacon of institutional integrity and democratic resilience—thanks to the synergy of one president’s vision and one commissioner’s fearless pursuit of justice.
