The Government of Sierra Leone has formally expanded the country’s administrative structure with the establishment of two new districts and a series of city councils, district councils, rural councils, chiefdoms and villages.
The changes are contained in an Extraordinary issue of The Sierra Leone Gazette, Volume CLXVII, No. 77, dated September 16, 2026 and published by the Government Printing Department under Government Notice Nos. 246–277.
At the centre of the restructuring are Bandajuma District and Kpanguima District, increasing Sierra Leone’s number of districts from 16 to 18. The Bandajuma District (Establishment) Order, 2026, is contained in Statutory Instrument No. 7, while Kpanguima District was established under Statutory Instrument No. 18. Pasted text The Gazette uses the spelling “Kpanguima,” although earlier government discussions had used variants including Kpanguma.
The two districts have also been provided with separate local Government structures. Bandajuma District Council is established under Statutory Instrument No. 14, while Kpanguima District Council is covered by Statutory Instrument No. 17.
The Western Area is also undergoing substantial administrative reorganization. The Gazette establishes Freetown City Council, Freetown West City Council, Mountain Rural Council, Waterloo Rural Council and York Rural Council. Freetown City Council falls under Statutory Instrument No. 13, while Freetown West City Council is established under Statutory Instrument No. 15.
Of particular significance is the restructuring of the area previously administered under the Western Area Rural District Council framework. The new arrangement establishes three rural councils: Mountain Rural Council, Waterloo Rural Council and York Rural Council.
Mountain Rural Council is established under Statutory Instrument No. 26, Waterloo Rural Council under Statutory Instrument No. 31 and York Rural Council under Statutory Instrument No. 33.
The restructuring extends to Lungi, which now has Lungi City Council, established under Statutory Instrument No. 19. The move gives formal legal effect to an earlier Government proposal to elevate Lungi’s local administrative status.
Several chiefdoms have also been formally established. They include Barawa, Biriwa Limba, Biriwa, Bongre, Kamadugu, Lunia, Mabala Village Chiefdom, Magbaimba, Mapaki, Masabong, N’dohahun, Peje, Vanjelu and Yiraia Chiefdoms.
The Gazette further provides establishment orders for a number of villages, including Bankor Village, Black Johnson Village, During Village, Majei Village and Tree Planting Village. During and Majei are identified in the instruments as formerly During Town Village and Majei Town Village respectively.
The gazetting moves the administrative changes from earlier Government proposals into a formal statutory framework. The instruments legally establish the named localities and councils, although the creation of operational structures, staffing, financing and other administrative arrangements involves further implementation measures.
Under the Local Government Act 2022, the President may, on the required recommendations, declare an area a locality, assign it a name and establish a council for that locality through a statutory instrument.
The changes amount to a significant redrawing of Sierra Leone’s local Government structure, with the Western Area among the areas experiencing the most extensive reorganization. The new administrative framework introduces additional councils while giving Bandajuma and Kpanguima formal status as districts within the country’s governance structure.
