Posts Tagged ‘Electricity In Sierra Leone’
Current Electricity Situation In Freetown – Nov 2011
November 7th, 2011 | 
Author: I promised I’ll making these updates. Well currently, “Salone swit” We are enjoying light on most days (90% of the time). Compared to when we came in 2008, well things have superbly improved in this area. So to those that are coming this December you are in for a real treat. 
Yesterday we drove down Wilkinson Road to go to church and I must say, I was very happy to see that it’s almost complete! I can wait for it to be 100% complete. That will be so good! Work, as you may know already, has already began on Spur Road. They also started digging Regent Road which they seem to have abandoned.
My desperate wish is for Regent Road and Lumley roundabout to be completed. Have a great week y’all!
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Bumbuna Operational? Where’s The Light?
Hello again, I’ve been busy and mad! Mad with the lack of light that’s plaguing Freetown again. I remember last year this time when – we Freetownians – were all basking in the new found Bumbuna light and praising the government for doing the unprecedented. Children danced in the street – “Light don come” or something to that effect. Music blared around every street corner and there was a general positivity about progress in Sierra Leone. I will boast to our diaspora friends about how good things are happening….
One Year On….
Fast forward one year on and we’re back the darkness that prevailed when we came in 2008 not to mention the noisome generators. This started – for those of us that live in Lumley – in about February and it became so bad that around the 1st of May there was a big brouhaha as the fuel price was increased from Le17,500 per gallon to Le22,000 or so. In addition to this increase, fuel is now sold in litres instead of gallons.
There were queues at petrol stations as dealers refused to sell for one reason or the other. In the absence of electricity, the only reliable source of light is the generator which needs fuel. Fuel price increase is bad enough but scarcity compounds the problem.
Now I can say, fuel shortages only lasted for about 3 days at the beginning of May, now we do have more expensive fuel but no electricity.
There may be a myriad of reasons why and I’ve seen and heard as well as read Minister this or that say this or that…. quite frankly it doesn’t matter.
Bottom line is unless there’s 24/7 light no economy can grow to it’s fullest potential . Poverty will still be endemic and businesses will charge and arm and a leg for goods and services.
As I’m writing my generator is on… I wonder when I’ll switch it off for good….
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Electricity Situation December 2010
This year has been a year of MUCH, much better light here in Freetown. Now put together we’ve had light on about 300 days so far even before the year completes. For some it has been better others worse depends on where you live.
Most of the problem with light has happened towards the end of this year when the road works began. As I write, some areas close to Wilkinson Road and Congo Cross have not had light for 6 weeks or more now as the old electric poles are being relocated.
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Bumbuna Down For A Week…
Back to the darkness we’ve not experienced for sometime. Not impressed 
but at least they gave notice. Wonder how often this will be. When one gets used to electricity, it’s hard to go back to the pitch blackness that pervades when it’s absent.
Now getting used to noisy generators, candles, torches… etc all over again and oh I’m about to fry all the fish in my freezer to prevent them from getting spoilt…
We’re expecting the light back on Friday / Saturday. FYI
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Posted in Electricity In Sierra Leone | 
Tags: bumbuna, bumbuna dam, bumbuna hydro, Electricity In Sierra Leone, light in freetown | 
1 Comment »
Read This… And Weep For Salone
As you may well know, the Bumbuna Dam is nearly 100% operational. Recently, we have been experiencing better light. In fact from Thursday last week till Saturday we had light with no interruptions and this is the first time this has happened since we came to Sierra Leone in January 2008.
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Posted in Electricity In Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone Development |
Tags: bumbuna, bumbuna dam, bumbuna hydro, Electricity In Sierra Leone |
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The Electricity Situation In Freetown
I thought I should write a little bit about the reality of electricity in Freetown. Obviously, all my comments are based on where I live (Lumley) and I can’t vouch for other areas.
Since we came in Jan 2008, it’s been touch and go with the electricity. Then, we had light almost every night with the power on for all the weekend (both night & day). Then it became steadily worse where we had light only about 3 nights a week with plus all weekend (day and night). Fast forward to September ’08 when the Muslim festival was in progress and the light was about the same.
Things were very bad – I mean VERY BAD in November ’08 where the was light only about 1 night a week and sometimes none at all. Around Dec ’08 things improved. Jan ’09 was similar to December but has since then it’s become steadily worse. As I write this, June ’09, we tend to have light 3 nights the working week and maybe – just maybe during the day on Sat or Sun. At night when we need it most, we have to use a generator.
As dire and backward as the situation is, I still have hope the the Bumbuna Dam will come through and at last… there’ll be 24 hour light. 
Next time, I’ll write about the types and current prices of generators available and that I’ve seen people use…
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