At the 8th Annual General Assembly of the Association of African Anti-Corruption Authorities (AAACA) in Nairobi, Kenya, Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., delivered a powerful, impactful and captivating presentation on Sierra Leone's anti-corruption reforms, particularly the country's highly successful asset declaration system, attracting widespread admiration from delegates across Africa.
In a presentation that showcased Sierra Leone's leadership and innovation in the fight against corruption, Commissioner Kaifala highlighted the remarkable gains made under the asset declaration regime and the administrative sanctions employed to ensure compliance by public officials.
Presenting after representatives from Madagascar and Nigeria, Commissioner Kaifala outlined the reforms introduced under the law, making specific reference to the biennial declaration exercise, verification and lifestyle audits, streamlined categories of declarants, and administrative sanctions backed by law. He further highlighted Sierra Leone's record-high compliance rate of 99.61%.
Providing statistics to the Assembly, the Commissioner disclosed that out of 17,253 targeted declarants, 17,186 public officials successfully declared their assets during the 2024/2025 declaration cycle and the first quarter of 2026, leaving only 67 defaulters, representing 0.39%. He further noted that 178 out of 182 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) achieved 100% compliance by the first quarter of 2026.
Commissioner Kaifala attributed this monumental success to the strong political will demonstrated by the Government of Sierra Leone, noting that the Commission has consistently benefited from Presidential support in enforcing compliance measures. He disclosed that salaries of certain public officials occupying key government positions were withheld until they complied with the asset declaration requirement.
The Commissioner also informed the Assembly that Sierra Leone's asset declaration system is fully digital, making the process efficient, transparent and accessible. He explained that the mandatory affirmation component embedded in the declaration form further strengthens the reliability and integrity of information provided by declarants.
He further emphasized that through rigorous analysis and verification processes, the Commission is able to identify instances of under-declaration, over-declaration, and other inconsistencies that may warrant further scrutiny and action.
The presentation earned Commissioner Kaifala a plethora of commendations from delegates and participants. Notably, Rose Nizishemeye, Representative of the Integrity Group in Washington and member of the AAACA Secretariat, described Sierra Leone's presentation as the "best" among the three country presentations delivered during the session.
Beyond his presentation, Commissioner Kaifala made significant contributions to discussions relating to the eligibility of candidates for election and re-election to the AAACA Executive Committee, drawing on his extensive expertise in legal interpretation and institutional governance.
He also moderated a session during which the Head of Algeria's Anti-Corruption Agency, Khaled Benguernane, presented on training plans for African anti-corruption agencies, identified institutional capacity gaps, and outlined the virtual and in-person courses to be delivered by the newly launched Centre for Anti-Corruption Studies and Research in Africa (CEREAC).
The Assembly concluded with the election of new Executive Committee members, namely Dr. Modibo Sacko (Mali) as President, Hon. Reza Michael (Zimbabwe) as First Vice President, Khaled Benguernane (Algeria) as Second Vice President, and Cllr. Alexandra K. Zoe (Liberia) as West Africa Regional Representative.
It was also resolved that Libya will host the 9th AAACA Annual General Assembly in 2027.
