By: Hope Times Staff Writer
Concerns over transparency and accountability in public procurement have resurfaced following the release of a new report examining rice supplies to inmates in Sierra Leone’s correctional facilities.
The report, published by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), questions NLe211.3 million spent on rice by the Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS) between 2016 and 2023. The findings appear in IGR’s February 2026 edition of Critical Perspectives on Governance, titled “Di Hade Pa Di Case II Prison Rice and the Case for a New Politics.”
Drawing from a review of 552 procurement contracts awarded over an eight-year period spanning two administrations, the study analyses official records on food purchases for inmates and compares them with estimated dietary requirements.
According to the report, total expenditure on rice during the period reached NLe211.3 million. IGR calculates that this equates to an average annual cost of NLe5,707 per inmate, or roughly NLe15.63 per prisoner per day.
However, the report argues that the quantities of rice reflected in procurement records appear disproportionately high. On average, documentation suggests that 10.2 cups of rice were allocated per inmate daily. The reported allocation peaked at 15 cups per day in 2017 and fell to its lowest level four cups per day in 2020.
IGR compared these figures with general consumption benchmarks, noting that most adults typically consume about two cups of rice daily and rarely exceed three cups, even under high-calorie diets. On this basis, the think tank describes the procurement figures as “economically implausible.”
To test the consistency of the expenditure, IGR recalculated projected spending under different daily consumption assumptions:
At three cups per inmate per day, approximately NLe144 million 68 percent of total expenditure appears excessive.
At two cups daily, the questioned amount increases to NLe166.5 million, or 79 percent of the overall budget.
Under a one-cup-per-day model, the unexplained portion rises to NLe189 million, representing 89 percent of total spending.
The report concludes that even under generous feeding assumptions, a substantial share of the rice procurement budget cannot be justified based on realistic dietary needs.
Beyond the financial figures, the study highlights what it describes as significant turnover in prison food contractors following changes in government. More than 60 percent of suppliers were reportedly replaced after the 2018 political transition, with similar shifts observed after the 2007 change in administration.
IGR suggests that such patterns may point to entrenched patronage networks influencing procurement decisions. While not making direct allegations of misconduct, the report calls for strengthened safeguards to ensure transparency and merit-based contracting.
The report also references previous performance audits indicating that actual food portions in some correctional centres may not correspond with the quantities reflected in procurement records. In certain facilities, it claims, a single basin of rice has reportedly been used to serve both lunch and dinner.
If accurate, the report notes, this discrepancy raises not only fiscal concerns but also potential human rights implications regarding inmate welfare.
IGR is calling for a comprehensive review of food procurement systems within correctional facilities and other public institutions that rely on bulk food purchases, including hospitals and security agencies. It also recommends accelerated digitalisation of procurement processes to enhance transparency, oversight, and accountability.
As debate grows over public expenditure management, the report is expected to intensify scrutiny of procurement practices and renew calls for reform in the administration of essential services within Sierra Leone’s correctional system.
