Opposition politician Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, a well-known Sierra Leonean figure and leader of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), has drawn fresh attention to the deepening drug crisis in the country after posting photos of severely ill kush addicts lying on the main Waterloo highway in Freetown, appealing directly to President Julius Maada Bio for urgent action.
In a message shared on his Facebook page, Mansaray said he was informed of four seriously ill drug victims left unattended on the roadside, appearing close to death. His post called the situation “sad, sorrowful and inhumane,” and challenged the government’s priorities, contrasting the suffering of citizens with what he described as the lavish lifestyle of political elites. He concluded with a heartfelt prayer: “May God heal Sierra Leone.”
Mansaray is no stranger to controversy or outspoken criticism of government policy. A trained psychologist and former presidential candidate, he founded the ADP in 2015 after leaving the All People’s Congress and has long positioned himself as a voice for Sierra Leoneans who feel neglected by the political establishment.
The images shared by Mansaray reflect a larger crisis that has gripped Sierra Leone over recent years: the rapid proliferation and devastating impact of kush, a synthetic street drug linked to severe addiction, mental health collapse, and public disorder.Scourge The scourge has been great enough that President Bio finally declared drug abuse a national emergency, describing kush as a threat to the nation’s youth and social stability.
Public health observers describe kush as a potent blend of synthetic opioids and cannabinoids that can be far more potent than the traditional cannabis, inducing psychological deterioration and physical debilitation in users. Addicts often get disoriented in public places, and their care is an uphill task for any given community.
Visible addiction has been handled through the marshaling of local resources by the city of Waterloo and its surrounding communities. In December 2025, community members opted to round up groups of addicts into cleanup and support programs, as neither families nor institutions can handle the problem given their minimal capacity to do so.
Nevertheless, the image of persons in need, as shown by the photograph, languishing on a highway with no medical aid, highlights the need for a better response framework. There have been many instances of youngsters being hospitalized or worsening due to their addiction to kush, yet there are very few rehabilitation centers in Sierra Leone.
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Mansaray’s Facebook post also ingeniously captures the widespread frustration of the public in relation to the gap between government spending and the struggles of the people. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with his stand on the matter, one cannot help but identify with the fact that the issue of the drug problem is also presumably linked to the socioeconomic woes of the country.
The community has been advocating for a multi-setting approach, which includes rehabilitation programs, health and social education in the community, the enforcement of the law against traffickers, and support for families with addicts. Hopefully, this collective approach rather than the headlines it makes will help turn the tide on addiction.
