By Abu Bakarr Sidique Kamara
As Sierra Leone’s political landscape begins to take shape ahead of the 2028 general elections, Al-Hassan Gbessay Kanu, an aspirant for the All People’s Congress (APC) presidential flagbearer position, is preparing to return home with a message centred on public service, national development and practical leadership.
Born and raised in Sierra Leone, Kanu has spent more than two decades building a career in public service, government relations and community development in New York City. His experience, he argues, has prepared him for a return to Sierra Leone at a time when citizens are demanding effective leadership, economic opportunity and a government that responds to their everyday needs.
From 2005 to 2013, Kanu served as Director of Community Affairs in the New York City Council office of Leroy Comrie. Following Comrie’s tenure, Kanu became District Director under Council Member I. Daneek Miller in the 27th Council District, a position he held from 2014 until May 2018.
These were not merely ceremonial appointments.
Working in Southeast Queens, Kanu was involved in addressing the everyday concerns of residents, including housing, transportation, education, public safety, sanitation, healthcare and access to government services.
His responsibilities required him to work directly with residents, government agencies, law-enforcement authorities, community organisations and elected officials. He also participated in community events, constituent services, youth mentorship initiatives and participatory-budgeting efforts designed to bring government closer to the people.
In 2020, Kanu served as Queens Liaison for New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, further expanding his experience in government and community relations.
A DECADE OF COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Kanu has also spent approximately a decade serving on Queens Community Board 12, which represents communities including Jamaica, Hollis, St. Albans, South Ozone Park and Springfield Gardens.
For approximately six years, he chaired the board’s Parks Committee, where he advocated for investment in parks, recreation and public spaces across Southeast Queens.
His work has also extended into community development outside government.
Between 2018 and 2021, he worked with the Southern Queens Park Association, an organisation with a strong focus on youth development, recreation and community programming.
In November 2021, Kanu joined LIFE Camp, a New York-based community organisation focused on violence prevention and youth development. He later served as Chief Operating Officer and Director of Government and Community Affairs, working with city, state and federal partners to mobilise resources for violence prevention, youth programmes and community initiatives.
It is this record of hands-on public and community service that Kanu is now placing before APC delegates as they consider the party’s next flagbearer.
“I’M NOT RUNNING AGAINST ANYONE; I’M RUNNING FOR EVERYONE”
Kanu says his decision to seek the APC flagbearership is not motivated by rivalry with other aspirants, but by what he believes he can contribute to the party and the country.
“I’m not running against anyone. I’m running for everyone. I entered this race because there is a vacancy in the leadership of our party, and I believe I have something to offer. The delegates will decide whether what I have done with my life and what I want to do for Sierra Leone is what they are looking for,” Kanu said.
He maintains that APC delegates should examine the records and ideas of all aspirants before making their decision.
For Kanu, the flagbearer contest should be about more than choosing an individual. It should also be an opportunity for the APC to define the kind of government it intends to offer Sierra Leone ahead of 2028.
WHEN EBOLA BROUGHT SIERRA LEONE CLOSE TO HOME
One of the experiences that strongly connected Kanu’s public-service career in New York to his homeland was the Ebola outbreak that devastated Sierra Leone and neighbouring West African countries in 2014.
At the time, Kanu was serving as District Director in the New York City Council.
While Sierra Leoneans in New York were deeply concerned about relatives and communities back home, West African communities in the United States were also confronting fear, misinformation and uncertainty surrounding the disease.
Kanu became involved in efforts to bring Sierra Leonean and West African voices into discussions with New York officials and community stakeholders. He participated in stakeholder engagement and efforts to mobilise assistance for affected communities.
The experience demonstrated how his Sierra Leonean identity and his professional experience in government could work together during a crisis.
Years later, the COVID-19 pandemic presented another opportunity for Kanu to serve his community.
He participated in community town halls and discussions, supported efforts to provide food and other assistance to residents, and took part in initiatives aimed at helping families navigate the challenges created by the pandemic.
According to Kanu, these experiences reinforced a simple principle: government must be able to respond when citizens need it most.
“During a crisis, people don’t care about your title. They want to know whether you can help them. Can you get somebody on the phone? Can you get food to a family? Can you get an agency to respond? Can you solve the problem? That is the kind of government I want our people in Sierra Leone to experience,” he said.
BRINGING GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE
Kanu’s experience on Queens Community Board 12 also shaped his understanding of grassroots governance.
His work as Parks Committee chairman exposed him to the practical realities of local development, including parks, recreation facilities, community infrastructure and the distribution of public resources.
He believes Sierra Leone can benefit from a similar emphasis on development that citizens can directly see and experience in their communities.
“If you live in Kambia, Kenema, Bo, Makeni, Port Loko or Kailahun, development should mean something where you are. You shouldn’t have to come to Freetown before you feel the presence of your government,” Kanu said.
A VISION BUILT AROUND JOBS, INFRASTRUCTURE AND HUMAN CAPITAL
Kanu’s development agenda covers education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, energy, technology, governance and economic development.
However, three areas stand out as priorities.
First is electricity and infrastructure.
Kanu believes Sierra Leone cannot achieve meaningful industrialisation, attract major investment or create sufficient private-sector employment without reliable electricity, efficient transportation and improved infrastructure.
His long-term vision includes expanding electricity generation and transmission, improving national roads and exploring modern rail connections linking agricultural and commercial centres.
Second is agriculture and employment.
With Sierra Leone’s fertile land and youthful population, Kanu questions why the country should remain heavily dependent on imported food.
He advocates greater investment in both commercial and smallholder agriculture, mechanisation, storage and food processing, with the goal of creating jobs, increasing local production and reducing dependence on food imports.
Third is human capital development.
Kanu wants greater emphasis on vocational and technical education, arguing that young Sierra Leoneans should be equipped with practical skills linked to construction, agriculture, energy, technology, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy.
For him, the ultimate test of any economic policy is whether it creates meaningful opportunities for ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
“SIERRA LEONE NEEDS A PUBLIC SERVANT”
At the centre of Kanu’s political message is his belief that Sierra Leone needs leadership rooted in service rather than personality.
He argues that political leadership should not end with speeches and promises. Leaders must have the ability to identify problems, mobilise institutions, find resources and ensure that solutions are delivered.
“I’ve spent years dealing with people’s problems. Sometimes it was a housing problem. Sometimes a park. Sometimes a young person needed an opportunity. Sometimes a family just needed somebody in government to listen to them and make the right phone call. You learn very quickly that people don’t need another speech. They need you to do the work,” he said.
Kanu acknowledges that New York and Sierra Leone are very different environments. However, he believes the fundamental principle of responsive government is universal.
He wants to bring home the expectation that government institutions must work, public officials must be accessible and solving citizens’ problems must be at the heart of leadership.
A PRESIDENT FOR ALL SIERRA LEONEANS
Although Kanu is seeking to lead the APC, he says his vision extends beyond party politics.
If given the opportunity to become President, he says his government would serve every Sierra Leonean regardless of political affiliation.
“I love my party, and I want to lead my party. But if I ever have the privilege of becoming President, I can’t ask somebody whether they are APC or SLPP before their community gets water, electricity, a school or a road. They are Sierra Leoneans. That has to come first.”
That position forms a central part of Kanu’s argument to APC delegates.
He is not presenting himself simply as a politician seeking another political position. He is asking delegates to examine more than two decades of public service, community leadership and government experience and determine whether those experiences can be translated into effective national leadership.
PREPARING TO COME HOME
As the APC moves toward selecting its flagbearer for the 2028 presidential election, Kanu is preparing to return to Sierra Leone and engage directly with citizens, party stakeholders and communities.
His message is that his time abroad has not disconnected him from Sierra Leone. Instead, he believes the experience has given him additional knowledge, networks and practical lessons that he can bring home in the service of national development.
His stated ambition is to contribute to building a stronger, more prosperous and more united Sierra Leone—one in which government is closer to the people, young people have opportunities, farmers can prosper, businesses can grow and citizens can see tangible results from public investment.
For Kanu, the choice before APC delegates is ultimately about what kind of leadership they want to present to Sierra Leone in 2028.
And his own answer is clear:
“Sierra Leone doesn’t need another politician to lead us. We need a public servant. That’s the job I’m applying for.”
Al-Hassan Gbessay Kanu is an APC Flagbearer Aspirant seeking to lead the All People’s Congress into Sierra Leone’s 2028 presidential election.
