The West African country of Sierra Leone is holding its presidential election march next year with the ruling All Peoples Party having as its candidate a technocrat and former foreign minister, Dr Samura Kamara.
Kamara had emerged as the consensus candidate after the ruling party national convention presided over by the outgoing president, Dr Bai Koroma whose two-term tenure ends next year.
Reports from Freetown, the Sierra Leonean capital, indicated that the main opposition party, the Sierra Leonean Peoples Party [SLPP] has also picked former military dictator, Maada Bio as its candidate after protracted internal factionalisation.
Kamara’s selection as the ruling party candidate shocked many but the party had succeeded in putting its house in order with previous presidential aspirants now in charge of the general election campaign.
Outgoing President Koroma had told Sierra Leoneans at the party convention that the choice of Kamara was to ensure continuity, stability and progress, urging his compatriots to support his candidate for successful conclusion and enhancement of the administration’s agenda for change
Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara was born on the 30th of April 1951 in Kamalo, Bombali District. He is a development economist with background in diplomacy, macroeconomics, public finance, central banking and financial sector policy analysis and reforms.
He holds a Masters Degree (1980) and PhD (1986) from the University College of North Wales, Bangor. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone (1972).
Dr Samura worked in the Economic Affairs Department of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, first, as Senior Economics Officer in 1991-1994; and second, as Chief Programme Officer in 1998-2001. He was Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development in 1994-1997, and 2001-2006 respectively.
In 2006-2007, he served as Alternate Executive Director for Africa Group I Constituency in the International Monetary Fund.
In 2008-2009, Dr. Kamara was appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Sierra Leone and then became Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development in 2009-2012.
But in 2012, he lost his job in the finance ministry and was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone until his resignation to seek the presidency.
