Sierra Leone Police Inspector-General, William Fayia Sellu, has announced sweeping reforms aimed at resetting the institution, restoring public trust and strengthening citizens' confidence through enhanced professionalism, accountability and people-centred policing. The reforms follow a review of the 2026 police promotion exercise, which was marred by controversy. Sellu made the declarations during a press conference at the Senior Police Officers' Mess in Kingtom. He addressed the irregularities and procedural issues that characterised the initial promotion exercise.
The initial promotion exercise, announced on 12 October 2026, saw 4,232 promotions. However, Sellu revealed that the exercise was conducted under the then Director of Human Resource Management and his team, and was marked by several anomalies that fell short of the professional standards expected of the institution. To address these concerns, Sellu took two major decisions: cancelling the initial promotion list and establishing a review committee to examine the exercise and verify the eligibility of personnel recommended for promotion.
The review committee, headed by Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Andrew Mustapha Kamara, was mandated to thoroughly examine the exercise and verify the eligibility of personnel recommended for promotion. Sellu also initiated an investigation into the conduct of the Human Resource Department in relation to the promotion process. However, he deferred the investigation to allow the review committee to complete its work and establish the facts surrounding the identified irregularities. With the review now completed, evidence of irregularities established, and investigations into the conduct of the Human Resource Department set to commence.
Sellu explained the rationale behind the decentralisation of the 2026 promotion exercise, citing the need to address shortcomings in the previous system. The previous system concentrated the processing of promotions exclusively at Police Headquarters, undermining the authority of Local Unit Commanders, departmental heads and other commanders. This created opportunities for some personnel to disregard the authority of their immediate commanders and bypass the established chain of command.
To address these shortcomings, the 2026 promotion exercise was decentralised, requiring Local Unit Commanders, departmental heads, unit commanders and other relevant authorities to submit performance appraisals and recommendations for personnel under their respective commands. The review committee assessed personnel against three principal criteria: date of enlistment, academic qualifications and date of last promotion. Sellu disclosed that approximately 2,500 of the personnel initially promoted had been found to meet the required eligibility criteria.
An additional 1,300 personnel would benefit from supplementary promotions, bringing the total number of personnel expected to benefit from the reviewed exercise to approximately 3,800. However, 700 approved promotion positions would remain vacant, as they formed part of the allocation granted by the Government through the Ministry of Finance. The outcome of the review represents a significant development in the SLP's 2026 promotion exercise, which has generated considerable debate among police personnel and members of the public.
Sellu emphasised that the exercise was not merely about promoting individual officers but was part of a broader institutional reform agenda aimed at strengthening professionalism, internal accountability, discipline and respect for the chain of command. He reiterated that his vision was to reset the Sierra Leone Police, rebuild public confidence and transform the institution into a more disciplined, accountable, responsive and professional service.
Key points
- IGP Sellu cancels initial promotion list and initiates review and investigation into HR department.
- The 2026 promotion exercise was decentralised to address shortcomings in the previous system.
- Approximately 3,800 personnel are expected to benefit from the reviewed exercise.
