By Mohamed Malaam Janneh- To-Taste
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Few politicians in Sierra Leone can point to a political journey as enduring and eventful as that of Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally. From the struggle to restore democracy during the country’s darkest days to serving in Parliament and holding key ministerial portfolios, Tarawally has remained a familiar and influential figure in the nation’s political landscape for more than two decades.
Born and raised in Salina, Kaiyamba Chiefdom, Moyamba District, Tarawally hails from a Madingo-Mende family, with historical ties to the founding of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). His political activism began in the early 1990s when he joined the youth movement advocating for the return of multiparty democracy, working alongside organizations such as Tegloma and other SLPP strategic support organizations.
When the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), in alliance with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), overthrew the democratically elected government of President Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in 1997, Tarawally became one of the young political activists who fled into exile. Together with the late Chief Sam Hinga Norman and members of his family, he travelled by sea to Guinea, where he joined forces with ECOMOG and the Civil Defence Forces (CDF) in the campaign to restore constitutional rule.
While in exile, he became a founding member of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Guinea alongside several prominent members of the SLPP Young Generation. Their collective efforts culminated in the restoration of democracy on May 10, 1998, when President Kabbah returned to office.
Following the end of the civil conflict, Tarawally was elected Member of Parliament for Moyamba District in 2002. As a member of the SLPP Strategic Planning Committee, he contributed to the party’s successful campaign in the 2002 general elections.
His political career later transcended party lines when President Ernest Bai Koroma appointed him to serve in government following the 2007 elections. During his tenure, he served as Resident Minister for the Southern Region, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment with distinction, earning recognition for his administrative experience.
Tarawally’s political journey has also been marked by periods of adversity. Following the 2005 SLPP National Delegates Conference in Bo and the Convention in Makeni that same year, he became politically marginalized, ostracized, conscripted and humiliated, all because he openly declared his support for Brigadier (Rtd.) Julius Maada Bio against Mr. Solomon Ekuma Berewa. Despite these setbacks, he remained steadfast in his political convictions and continued to play an active role in national politics.
In 2017, after extensive consultations, he contested the Presidency under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). During the 2018 Presidential Run-off Election, however, he endorsed Julius Maada Bio, a decision widely viewed by his supporters as a significant contribution to the SLPP’s eventual electoral victory. Following the elections, he reaffirmed his allegiance to the SLPP, where he continues to serve as one of the party’s Grand Chief Patrons.
Today, as attention gradually turns to the 2028 elections, Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally is once again positioning himself for national leadership through his Agenda MT Vision 2028. His vision is built on the ideals of a “united, secure and prosperous Sierra Leone,” with priorities that include accountable leadership, stronger democratic institutions, economic empowerment, national cohesion, and inclusive development.
Among many SLPP delegates across Sierra Leone and in the diaspora, Tarawally is increasingly regarded as one of the party’s most formidable presidential hopefuls. Admirers affectionately refer to him as the “Gina-Musa” of the SLPP, a reflection of the confidence they place in his leadership and political experience.
Supporters describe him as a team player, a tireless worker, a leader who values consultation and respects differing opinions. They also portray him as a unifier who rejects discrimination, a deeply prayerful Islamic man