Freetown, 3rd November 2025- As an urgent response to Sierra Leone’s deepening Kush crisis, President Julius Maada Bio has announced the creation of a Special Fund dedicated to fighting drug and substance abuse across the country. The announcement came during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at State House, where the President reviewed the one-year report of the National Taskforce on Drug and Substance Abuse.
The Special Fund, described as the cornerstone of Sierra Leone’s anti-Kush strategy, will channel resources into five critical pillars: Prevention, Care and Treatment, Social Support, Law Enforcement, and Community Engagement. It is designed to ensure sustainable financing for both immediate interventions and long-term recovery efforts.
“This crisis demands more than speeches, it demands sustained action,” President Bio declared. “The Special Fund will allow us to respond with consistency, compassion, and force.”
The President’s announcement comes amid growing public concern over the devastating impact of Kush, a synthetic drug that has ravaged communities, claimed lives, and overwhelmed families.
Addressing ministers, security chiefs, justice sector leaders, and civil society representatives, President Bio described the epidemic as “one of the gravest threats to Sierra Leone’s social stability, public health, and national security.”
Beyond the Special Fund, President Bio unveiled four additional measures to strengthen the national response:
A Special Court will be established to fast-track drug-related prosecutions, staffed by designated judges and magistrates.
A Special Security Unit, comprising personnel from the Sierra Leone Police and Armed Forces, will conduct targeted raids on drug hotspots.
A New Practice Direction will be issued by the Chief Justice to guide sentencing and ensure consistency and deterrence.
Legislative Reforms, including asset seizures, will be introduced to dismantle the financial networks behind the Kush trade.
“No public official found colluding with traffickers whether at police stations, airports, seaports, or border crossings, will be spared,” the President warned. “No sacred cows!”
He called for a united national front, urging parents, teachers, religious leaders, and businesses to play active roles in prevention and recovery. “This is a fight that requires heart and unity from every citizen and every sector,” he said.
The meeting also featured a powerful testimony from Michael Tamba Komba, a former RSLAF footballer who shared his journey from addiction to recovery. Through his charity, Kick Start, Komba now works to help young people escape the grip of drug abuse.
President Bio closed with a message of empathy and resolve: “Our collective efforts must bring hope, comfort, and restoration to every affected family and community.”
With the launch of the Special Fund, Sierra Leone signals a new phase in its fight against Kush one rooted in accountability, compassion, and sustained investment. The battle is far from over, but the country has drawn its line in the sand.
