Ernest Bai Koroma (born 2 October 1953) is a Sierra Leonean politician who served as the fourth President of Sierra Leone from 17 September 2007 to 4 April 2018.
Born and raised in Makeni in northern Sierra Leone, Koroma spent more than 24 years working in the private insurance industry before entering politics in 2002. From 1988 to 2002, he was the managing director of the Reliance Insurance Trust Corporation (Ritcorp).
Koroma earned a diploma from Fourah Bay College in 1976; and is an insurance agent by profession.
Koroma was elected as leader of the All People's Congress (APC), Sierra Leone's main opposition party, on 24 March 2002,"The President" , State House, Sierra Leone government. after defeating then-incumbent APC leader Edward Turay. Koroma stood as the APC candidate in the 2002 presidential election but was defeated in a free and fair election by incumbent president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who won 70.3% of the vote, to Koroma's 22.35%."Victory of Sierra Leone President Was by Landslide Margin – 19 May 2002", Voice of America, 26 October 2009. Koroma conceded defeat.
Koroma was later elected to Parliament, representing his home District of Bombali from 2002 to 2007. In 2005, he was elected the minority leader of Parliament and remained in that position until his election to the presidency in 2007.
In the 2007 presidential election run-off, Koroma received 54.6% of the vote and defeated incumbent vice-president Solomon Berewa of the ruling SLPP.Bampia James Bundu, "Solomon Berewa Concedes Defeat to Ernest Bai Koroma in Sierra Leone" , Awareness Times, 17 September 2007. Berewa conceded defeat, and Koroma was sworn in as president on 17 September 2007, at the State House in the capital Freetown. International and local observers declared the election free and fair."Sierra Leone Human Rights" , Amnesty International. Koroma succeeded President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, who was constitutionally ineligible to run for the presidency again after serving the maximum two five-year term limit.
In the November 2012 presidential election, Koroma was re-elected as president for a second term, receiving 58.7%, against his main opponent, SLPP candidate Julius Maada Bio, who received 37.4%."Sierra Leone: Ernest Bai Koroma wins presidential poll" , BBC News – Africa, 23 November 2012,"Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma Reelected" , RTT News, 23 November 2012."Ernest Bai Koroma re-elected as Sierra Leone's President" , English.news.cn, 24 November 2012. International observers deemed the election to be free and fair.Simon Akam, "Sierra Leone's Koroma promises growth in new term", Reuters, 23 November 2012. Koroma was succeeded by Julius Maada Bio following his victory in run-off elections held on 31 March 2018.
In December 2023, Koroma was placed under house arrest after two days of interrogation following an attempted coup d'état on 26 November 2023 during demonstrations. He was charged with four counts of treason in relation to the coup on 3 January 2024.
Early life and education Ernest Bai Koroma was born on 2 October 1953 in Makeni,Makeni is the nearest city, but some sources suggest that he was born in Makari Gbanti chiefdom. Bombali District in the Northern Province of British Sierra Leone. He was born into a Christian family in the predominantly Muslim north. Koroma was raised in a predominantly ethnic Temne household and is a fluent speaker of the Temne and Limba languages, his parents' mother tongues.
His father, Sylvanus Koroma, was of Temne and Loko heritage and grew up in a Temne household. He was born in the Makari Gbanti chiefdom, Bombali District. He worked for years as a bible school teacher at the Wesleyan Church in Makeni.
Koroma's mother, Alice Koroma (27 June 1932 – 6 July 2012), was an ethnic Biriwa Limba from the small rural town of Kamabai, also in Bombali District. She entered local politics in the 1960s, and was elected as a member of the All People's Congress (APC) to the Makeni city council. Alice Koroma was women's leader of the APC Bombali District branch. She was also a strong supporter of President Siaka Stevens' administration, when the APC leader was elected. Alice Koroma later worked for most of her career as a primary school teacher in Makeni.
Koroma attended the Sierra Leone Church Primary School in Makeni. For higher education, he went to the Magburaka Government Secondary School for Boys in Magburaka, Tonkolili District (about 25 miles from his hometown of Makeni). He graduated in 1973. He moved to the capital Freetown to attend Fourah Bay College, from where he graduated in 1976 with a degree in Business Management.
Soon after graduating from Fourah Bay College, Koroma became a teacher at St. Francis Secondary School in Makeni (1976–78).
Life after presidency After leaving office on 4th day of April 2018, former president Ernest Bai Koroma relocate to his home town, Makeni. Ernest Bai Koroma divided his time between his private residences in Makeni City and Goderich, Freetown. However, Makeni became his principal residence after his presidency. During his staying at Makeni, former president, Koroma announces his retirement from active politics, even after his announce, he still remain one of the most influential politician in Sierra Leone despite announcing his retirement from active politics.
At Makeni, Koroma adopted a quieter and private lifestyle than when he was an active politician. He regularly received visitors at his residence in Makeni, including senior APC officials, religious leaders, diplomats, ordinary citizens, traditional and community leaders. His party members frequently visiting him for informal meetings, seek advice or simply pay courtesy calls.
The ACC investigation
One of the most significant events of his retirement occurred in 2020.
Following the publication of the Government White Paper on the Commissions of Inquiry into his administration, Koroma was invited by the Anti Corruption Commission for questioning regarding alleged corruption during his presidency. The invitation from ACC required him to appear before the ACC headquarter office in Freetown, but because of security concerns, discussions between his lawyers and the ACC resulted in an agreement that investigators would instead interview him in Makeni. On the 8th October 2020, ACC officials travelled to Koroma's residence in Makeni. Before the officials arrived at Makeni, hundreds of youths, APC supporters, and secret societies occupied the road leading to his residence, preventing ACC investigators from entering. To avoid confrontation, the investigators peacefully withdrew without conducting the scheduled interview. After the incident, the issue attracted national attention, and the Political Parties Registration Commission PPRC criticized the obstruction and urged former president Koroma to publicly discourage lawlessness.
After further negotiations between the ACC and Koroma's legal team, he eventually honoured the invitation.
On 23 November 2020, the ACC announced that it had begun interviewing the former president at one of its secure facilities regarding allegations of corruption during his presidency. The interview was conducted in a "safe house" rather than at the ACC headquarters and continued on agreed dates thereafter.
Following the disputed 2023 general elections, Sierra Leone experienced heightened political tensions between the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and the APC. As the APC's most prominent former leader, Koroma remained an influential voice, even though he was not a candidate in the elections. On 26 November 2023, armed attackers assaulted military facilities and a prison in Freetown, resulting in deaths, injuries, and the escape of more than 2,000 prisoners. The government launched investigations into those responsible. In January 2024, the Government of Sierra Leone charged Koroma with four offences, including treason, alleging that he was connected to the attempted coup. Koroma denied the allegations. The High Court granted him bail while legal proceedings continued. The case attracted considerable domestic and international attention because of his status as a former head of state. Later in January 2024, the High Court permitted Koroma to travel to Nigeria for medical treatment following mediation involving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He remained in Nigeria while his legal case continued. In July 2026, Sierra Leone's Attorney General discontinued the criminal proceedings against Koroma. Following the decision, he thanked President Bio, the Government of Sierra Leone, ECOWAS, and supporters, and called on Sierra Leoneans to promote peace, reconciliation, and national unity. Soon afterward, he returned to Sierra Leone and attended the ECOWAS Summit in Freetown, marking his first visit home since leaving for Nigeria in January 2024. Since returning, Koroma has increasingly been viewed as a senior statesman rather than an active politician. While he remains highly respected within the APC and continues to influence national political discussions, recent developments suggest he is focusing more on national reconciliation, democratic stability, and advisory roles than on frontline politics
Career in the insurance industry Koroma joined the Sierra Leone National Insurance Company in 1978. In 1985, he joined the Reliance Insurance Trust Corporation (Ritcorp), and in 1988, he became managing director of Ritcorp, remaining in that position for 14 years.Mohamed Samura, "Profile: Ernest Bai Koroma, Sierra Leone's new head of state", African Press Agency, 1 October 2007.
Marriage and family A longtime member of the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone,"New president of West African country is Wesleyan" , NCN News, 20 September 2007. Koroma married Sia Nyama Koroma, the daughter of attorney and politician Abu Aiah Koroma. He served as former Attorney General of Sierra Leone, and also held several other government ministry positions under presidents Joseph Saidu Momoh and Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. An ethnic Kono from Kono District, Sia Koroma is a biochemist, holding Bachelor of Science with Honours in Chemistry and a master's in biochemistry. She is also a psychiatric nurse trained and qualified in Great Britain.
Koroma and his wife Sia Koroma were married on October 18, 1986, at the King Memorial UMC Church in Freetown."Ernest Bai Koroma" , My Africa. AllAfrica. Together they have 3 adult daughters: Alice (named after Koroma's mother) and Dankay (named after his wife's mother) and Mary Koroma and one son, Yunis koroma. Alice Koroma is a lawyer, having graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2010.
Political career
APC campaign leadership In 2002 it was announced that the All People's Congress (APC) would hold their convention to elect a new leader that would challenge president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the SLPP who faced re-election for a second five-year term. Ernest Bai Koroma, then an Insurance broker from the northern district of Bombali who was virtually unknown by the general population in Sierra Leone announced his candidacy for the leadership of the All People's Congress (APC) ahead of the 2002 Sierra Leone presidential and parliamentary elections."Sierra Leone: APC Convention: Ekutay Backs Ernest Koroma", Concord Times (Freetown), 25 February 2002. AllAfrica. He was one of seven candidates for the APC leadership.