Kailahun
Encyclopedia
Kailahun is the capital of Kailahun District
in the Eastern Province
of Sierra Leone
. The town lies 300 miles east of Freetown
and with a population of 25,210. The population of Kailahun is largely from the Mende
ethnic group and the Mende language
along with the Krio language
are widely spoken in the town. The town is a major diamond and commercial center.
Kailahun, along with the entire Kailahun District is governed with a district council form of government, which is headed by a District Council Chairman, who is responsible for the general management of the town and for seeing that all local and national laws are enforced. The District Council Chairman is elected directly by the residents of the district of Kailahun. The current chairman of Kailahun district council is Tom Nyuma
of the Sierra Leone People's Party
(SLPP). Nyuma won the July 2008 Sierra Leone local council elections in a landslide
with 75% of the vote. The candidate of the People's Movement for Democratic Change
(PMDC) came in distance second, followed by the candidate of the All People's Congress
(APC]]. Nyuma replaced fellow SLPP member Augustine Kortu
who was the District Council Chairman until July 2008.ref> Kortu is from the minority Kissi
ethnic group.
, and several other international TV stations are on the air in the city, via satellite
.
Kailahun is the 15th largest urban area in Sierra Leone with a population of 13,108 in 2004.
. Minority ethnic groups with significant population are the Kissi, Kono
, Sherbro
and Vai
.
is by far the most popular sport in the city. The city has several clubs in the lower divisions of the Sierra Leone football league.
Kailahun is home to Kailahun Government Hospital which was refurbished after being damaged in the Sierra Leone Civil War
and was reopened in 2004.
Kailahun District
Kailahun District is a district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. Its capital and largest city is Kailahun. The other major towns in the district include Segbwema, Koindu, Pendembu and Daru. As of 2010, the district has a population of 395,957 ....
in the Eastern Province
Eastern Province, Sierra Leone
Eastern Province is one of the four provinces of Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 15,553 km² and has a population of 1,187,532...
of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. The town lies 300 miles east of Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
and with a population of 25,210. The population of Kailahun is largely from the Mende
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
ethnic group and the Mende language
Mende language
Mende is a major language of Sierra Leone, with some speakers in neighboring Liberia. It is spoken by the Mende people and by other ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone....
along with the Krio language
Krio language
Sierra Leone Krio is the lingua franca and the de facto national language spoken throughout the West African nation of Sierra Leone. Krio is spoken by 97% of Sierra Leone's population and unites the different ethnic groups in the country, especially in their trade and social interaction with each...
are widely spoken in the town. The town is a major diamond and commercial center.
Government
The town is home to Kailahun district council and the District Council Hall. As of 2008 Maada Alpha Ndoleh is the town chief of Kailahun.Kailahun, along with the entire Kailahun District is governed with a district council form of government, which is headed by a District Council Chairman, who is responsible for the general management of the town and for seeing that all local and national laws are enforced. The District Council Chairman is elected directly by the residents of the district of Kailahun. The current chairman of Kailahun district council is Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma
Tom Nyuma is a retired Sierra Leonean military commander and currently the chairman of Kailahun District council from the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party . He was elected as chairman of Kailahun District council on July 6, 2008 with 87% of the vote...
of the Sierra Leone People's Party
Sierra Leone People's Party
Sierra Leone People's Party is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with the All People's Congress .-Formation:...
(SLPP). Nyuma won the July 2008 Sierra Leone local council elections in a landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
with 75% of the vote. The candidate of the People's Movement for Democratic Change
People's Movement for Democratic Change
The People's Movement for Democratic Change is a liberal party in Sierra Leone. It is a breakaway faction of the Sierra Leone People's Party . It was officially registered on 19 January 2006...
(PMDC) came in distance second, followed by the candidate of the All People's Congress
All People's Congress
The All People's Congress is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, the other is the Sierra Leone People's Party . The party was founded in 1960 by Pa Mucktarru Kallay, Allieu Badarr Koroma,Alhaji Sheik Gibril Sesay C A Kamara-Taylor, S A T Koroma and Abu Bakarr S Bangura...
(APC]]. Nyuma replaced fellow SLPP member Augustine Kortu
Augustine Kortu
Augustine Kortu is a Sierra Leonean politician. He was Kailahun District Council chairman and mayor of Kailahun until July 2008. He is from the Kissi ethnic group.-References:...
who was the District Council Chairman until July 2008.ref> Kortu is from the minority Kissi
Kissi people
Kissi people is an ethnic group living in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. They speak the Kissi language, which is a Niger–Congo language. They are well known for making baskets and weaving on vertical looms.-Economy:...
ethnic group.
Media
The local radio station in Kailahun is a private station Radio Moa "The Voice of the Voiceless" on 101.5 FM which operates from Radio House. The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) televesion and radio station, are on the air in Kailahun. BBC World ServiceBBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
, and several other international TV stations are on the air in the city, via satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
.
Demographics
| Kailahun population 1963-2004 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Population | Urban area Rank | |
| 1963 | 5,419 | 16 | |
| 1974 | 7,184 | 12 | |
| 1985 | 9,054 | 13 | |
| 2004 | 13,108 | 15 | |
| Data from Sierra Leone Census results | |||
Kailahun is the 15th largest urban area in Sierra Leone with a population of 13,108 in 2004.
Ethnicity
The population of Kailahun is predominantly from the MendeMende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
. Minority ethnic groups with significant population are the Kissi, Kono
Kono people
The Kono people is a major ethnic group in Sierra Leone at about 7.6% of the country's total population. Their homeland is the diamond-rich Kono District in south-eastern Sierra Leone. They form by far the single largest ethnic group in the district at about 52% of the population...
, Sherbro
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...
and Vai
Vai (ethnic group)
The Vai are a Manden ethnic group that live mostly in Liberia and small minority live in south-eastern Sierra Leone. The Vai are known for their indigenous syllabic writing system, developed in the 1820s by Duala Bukele and other tribal elders. Over the course of the 19th century, literacy in the...
.
Sport
Like the rest of the country, footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
is by far the most popular sport in the city. The city has several clubs in the lower divisions of the Sierra Leone football league.
Health
Sierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
and was reopened in 2004.