Kenema, Sierra Leone
Kenema clocktower
Kenema, Sierra Leone Location in Sierra Leone
Coordinates: 7°53′N 11°11′W / 7.883°N 11.183°W / 7.883; -11.183
Country	Sierra Leone
Province	Eastern Province
District	Kenema District
Government
• Type	City council
• Mayor	Brima Kargbo (SLPP)
Population (2012 estimate)
• Total	182,106 [1]
Time zone	GMT (UTC-5)

Downtown Kenema

Kenema is the third largest city in Sierra Leone (after Freetown and Bo) and the largest city in the Eastern Province. The city is a major trade and commercial center and serve as the capital of Kenema District. The city lies approximately 200 miles east of Freetown and about 40 miles south of Bo. [2]. Kenema had a population of 128,402 in the 2004 census^[1] and a more recent estimate of 182,106 [3].

Kenema is one of the most ethnically diversed cities in Sierra Leone and is home to significant numbers of many of the country's ethnic groups. The Krio language is widely spoken in the city and is the primary language of communication among the city's different ethnic groups.

The city of Kenema is one of Sierra Leone's six municipalities and is governed by a directly elected city council form of government, headed by a mayor, in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is responsible for the general management of the city.

Like the rest of Sierra Leone, Football is by far the most popular sport in the city. The Sierra Leone professional club called the Kamboi Eagles, which is based in Kenema, represent the city in the Sierra Leone National Premier League. The city has a history of producing some of Sierra Leone's most popular footballers, including The country's most successful footballer Mohamed Kallon; Others include Paul Kpaka, Kemokai Kallon, Kei Kamara and Musa Kallon.

The city grew along with a now-closed railway, around the logging and carpentry industries, and recently with diamond mines first discovered in 1931.

Government[link]

The city of Kenema is one of Sierra Leone's six municipalities and is governed with a city council form of government, which is headed by a mayor, in whom executive authority is vested. The mayor is responsible for the general management of the city. The mayor is elected directly by the residents of Kenema in a municipal elections held every four years. The current mayor of Kenema is Chief Brima Kargbo, a member of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), currently the main opposition party.

Demographics[link]

Kenema is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Sierra Leone. The city is home to all of the country's ethnic groups, though the Mende people make up the largest ethnic group. Kenema has the second largest Sierra Leonean-Lebanese population in the country and is also home to many Liberians.

Sport[link]

As in the rest of the country, football is by far the most popular sport in Kenema. The city two popular football clubs, the Kamboi Eagles and Gem Stars play in the Sierra Leone National Premier League, the top football league in country.

Education[link]

The clock tower in Kenema

As in the rest of Sierra Leone, Kenema has an education system with six years of primary school (Class 1-6), and six years of secondary school (Form 1-6); secondary schools are further divided into Junior secondary school (Form 1-3) and Senior secondary school (Form 4-6). Primary schools usually start from ages 6 to 12, and secondary schools usually start from ages 13 to 18. Primary Education is free and compulsory in government-sponsored public schools.

Notable colleges in Kenema[link]

This section requires expansion.

• Eastern Polytechnic

Health[link]

Kenema and Bo are endemic areas for a highly contagious tropical hemorragic fever known as Lassa fever, and Kenema hospital is the centre of an international effort to combat the disease with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAMSIL. New laboratories to improve rapid diagnosis are being installed at the hospital, which admits between 250 and 500 suspected cases per year.

Media[link]

The two main radio stations in Kenema are Eastern Radio 101.9 and Radio Nongowa - SPIN FM 101.3. Sierra Leone's national radio and television stations, SLBS TV, and SLBS Radio are on the air in Kenema. The BBC World Service, CNN International, and several other international stations are on the air in Kenema on satellite only.

Notable people from Kenema[link]

• Mohamed Kallon, football star
• Emerson, musician
• Paul Kpaka, football star
• Alpha Lansana, football star
• Kei Kamara, football star
• Brima Sesay, football star
• Kemokai Kallon, football star
• Musa Kallon, football manager
• Sandy Moijueh, Ahmadiyya Sec. School Principal and Chairman of Read Cross
• Joseph C. Kapuwa, Late Paramount Chief of the Nongowa Chiefdom
• J. B. Dauda, a Sierra Leonean politician and current Foreign minister of Sierra Leone.

Namesakes[link]

There are a number of places in Sierra Leone with this name.

Gallery[link]

Below are various images of the streets of Kenema.

External links[link]

• The Kenema District Association

Coordinates: 7°53′N 11°11′W / 7.883°N 11.183°W / 7.883; -11.183

References[link]