Does Sierra Leone have Prime Minister?

Usman Fambuleh

Claim: A Facebook user alleges that the Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, went to watch a Manchester United match at East-End Cinema with youths.

Verdict: Misleading. Sierra Leone does not have a Prime Minister. The person in the photo is Dr David Moinina Sengeh, the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, not the Prime Minister.

Full Text 

The viral post Born 2 Blog describes Dr David Sengeh as the Prime Minister of Sierra Leone and praises his humility for mingling with young people while watching a football match. The same claim was also posted here. 

The misidentification of his title and the use of the term “Prime Minister” give a false impression of Sierra Leone’s political structure and mislead the public. Because of that, DUBAWA decided to fact-check it. 

David Moinina Sengeh is a Sierra Leonean politician, engineer, and innovator born on February 25, 1986, who is widely known for combining technology with public service; he studied biomedical engineering at Harvard University and later earned a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he focused on developing prosthetic technologies for amputees, before working with IBM Research Africa on using artificial intelligence to improve healthcare systems; he joined government in 2018 as Sierra Leone’s first Chief Innovation Officer, later served as Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, and in 2023 was appointed Chief Minister by President Julius Maada Bio, gaining international recognition as a TED Senior Fellow and Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree, while also expressing himself as a musician and author focused on youth empowerment and national development.

Verification

Findings show that the claim contains incorrect information about Dr Sengeh’s official position.

Dr David Moinina Sengeh is not the Prime Minister of Sierra Leone. He is the Chief-Minister of Sierra Leone, appointed in 2023 by President Julius Maada Bio. The Office of the Chief Minister mainly supports and coordinates government activities under the President, rather than serving as the head of government. 

Sierra Leone does not currently operate a Prime Ministerial system. The country uses a presidential system, where executive power is held by the President. The position of Prime Minister was abolished in 1978 and has not been restored in the same form.

The images in the post appear to show Dr Sengeh interacting with young people in a community setting, which is consistent with his public engagements. 

Conclusion

While Dr David Sengeh is indeed a senior government official who engages with citizens, the claim is misleading because it wrongly describes him as the Prime Minister of Sierra Leone.