Freetown Mayor takes Transform Freetown initiative to a new level. By Abdul Bero Kamara-

Her Worship the Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, OBE, is firmly dedicated to elevating her “Transform Freetown” initiative to new heights.

During a press conference held yesterday at the Mayor’s Conference Hall within City Hall, the Mayor of Freetown officially announced the implementation of new city bye-laws, titled “Operation Promote the New Bye-Laws,” which came into effect on April 2.

“Transform Freetown” is a comprehensive development plan championed by Mayor Aki-Sawyer since the onset of her first term.

Its primary objective is to address a multitude of urban challenges and enhance the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone, with a focus on resilience, human development, public health, and urban mobility.

For several years, the Freetown City Council has grappled with the persistent issue of sanitation, particularly the challenges associated with maintaining cleanliness within the city.

Seemingly, several  residents have contributed to littering by inappropriately discarding waste on streets and in gutters during night time hours.

This has emerged as a pressing concern, particularly in light of the significant portion of the council’s budget that is allocated to sanitation initiatives aimed at keeping the city clean.

Despite various efforts made by the Mayor, including the establishment of designated dump sites and the installation of trash receptacles throughout the city, Freetown continues to contend with sanitation challenges.

In response to these ongoing issues, the Mayor has introduced a novel strategy: a set of bye-laws that mandates Freetown residents to register with designated service providers for waste collection services at a nominal monthly fee.

Although these Bye-laws became effective yesterday, enforcement measures will only be initiated following comprehensive community sensitization efforts.

To strengthen the enforcement of these regulations, the council plans to recruit additional personnel for the Metropolitan Police to ensure adherence to the new legislation.

This systematic approach aims to enhance the cleanliness of Freetown by guaranteeing that residents are aware of the availability of waste collection services several times per week.

With this awareness, residents will be less inclined to improperly dispose of refuse, thereby improving the efficiency of the council’s sanitation efforts.