By Joan Deen
A Sierra Leonean data scientist has questioned the credibility of a recent report examining the political neutrality of the country’s media and civil society organizations ahead of the 2028 elections.
Joel Abdulai Kallon, chief executive officer of Meraki Analytics, said the report, authored by Augustine Navo, raised timely concerns about political polarization but fell short of accepted methodological standards used in global research.
The report had argued that some watchdog organisations were becoming less neutral in an increasingly divided political environment.
Kallon, an engineer and data scientist, said the framing and methodology of the analysis were flawed, without providing further technical detail in the public remarks.
The debate comes amid growing scrutiny of media independence and civil society roles in Sierra Leone, particularly as political competition intensifies ahead of the next general election cycle.
Neither the report’s author nor the organisations referenced in the study have publicly responded to the criticism.
