By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
Dr. David Moinina Sengeh has defended the newly passed National Security and Intelligence Bill, describing it as a major step toward strengthening Sierra Leone’s security architecture and aligning the country with international best practices.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with this medium, the Chief Minister explained that the legislation is designed to improve coordination and efficiency across the country’s security framework, from the grassroots to the national level.
He noted that Sierra Leone’s security structure operates from the Chiefdom Security Committees to District Security Committees, Provincial Security Committees, and up to the National Security Council, chaired by the President. According to him, the new law introduces reforms aimed at making these structures more effective and responsive.
One of the key features of the Act, he said, is the establishment of a State Protection Service (SPS), a specialized security unit tasked with providing mandatory close protection for high-ranking state officials. These include the President, Vice President, Chief Justice, former Presidents, former Vice Presidents, former Speakers of Parliament, Supreme Court Judges, Ministers, foreign Heads of State, and other designated VIPs.
Dr. Sengeh emphasized that the introduction of the State Protection Service will professionalize close protection duties, which have traditionally been handled mainly by the police, by creating a dedicated structure with clear operational guidelines and responsibilities.
He explained that similar protection units exist in countries such as United States, Liberia, and France, adding that Sierra Leone is now moving closer to global standards in state security management.
The Chief Minister also stressed that the bill was developed transparently and remains a public document, having been gazetted and debated openly in Parliament. He dismissed concerns over secrecy, insisting that the legislation contains safeguards to ensure accountability, transparency, and citizens’ access to information, provided such access does not compromise state security.
On the issue of staffing the new State Protection Service, Dr. Sengeh clarified that personnel would be drawn from both the Sierra Leone Police and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, with some officers seconded into the unit while retaining their original institutional ties. He added that specialized recruitment would also be undertaken to build the service into a professional and effective security body.
He further noted that the law provides a sustainable legal framework for state protection services, ensuring continuity and institutional stability beyond political administrations.
Dr. Sengeh maintained that the Act strengthens Sierra Leone’s national security system, enhances protection for key public officials, and provides a more structured and transparent security framework for the future.
