Traders Displaced as Government Demolishes Market Stalls For King’s Foam Expansion
By VOS Investigative Writer
The plight of small-scale business owners in the Blackhall Road community has come into sharp focus following allegations that government demolished their market stalls to pave the way for the expansion of Kings Foam Factory.
According to affected traders—many of whom had operated in the area for over 15 years—the demolition targeted stalls located behind the company’s fence, leaving them displaced and without livelihoods.
“The Government treated us like strangers by destroying our market stalls to make room for King’s production to extend their buildings,” some of the aggrieved traders lamented.
They further noted that prior to the demolition exercise, Kings Foam had already fenced its compound. However, shortly after the stalls were removed, the company allegedly dismantled its fence and extended its structures into the cleared space.
Residents say the justification given for the demolition was that the stalls were situated along the right of way of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority and were contributing to traffic congestion. However, they expressed concern that the same space is now being used for further construction by Kings Foam.
“We were told our stalls were causing congestion, but now the same space is being used to build longer rows of structures. This is really sad for our country,” another trader stated.
Sources within the Sierra Leone Roads Authority disclosed that, according to the approved road plan, any structure in the area should maintain a setback of at least 15 feet from the road. The sources alleged that the factory has encroached on this right of way—an issue they described as a serious concern.
They further revealed that the company’s failure to provide an approved drainage plan, coupled with the alleged encroachment, prompted SLRA officials to mark the site with an “X,” signaling a directive to halt ongoing construction.
Despite this, an undercover visit to the site revealed that work is continuing. Workers on site reportedly claimed that the matter had been “settled.”
“Don’t worry, we have settled that,” one worker said when questioned about the continuation of construction despite the stop order.
Other workers echoed similar sentiments but were unable to produce any official documentation authorising the continuation of work, instead referring inquiries to management at the Mega Cola factory.
When contacted on whether the company possesses the necessary documentation to extend construction into the right of way, the CEO of Kings Foam, Khalil Hijazi, denied ownership of the disputed property, stating that the land does not belong to Kings Foam or any of its affiliates.
The situation has sparked growing public concern over the enforcement of regulations, fairness in the treatment of small businesses, and accountability in urban development practices. More details will be provided in a subsequent edition on how Bilal Hijazi CEO of Rockcem, allegedly compelled government official to meet him at Texaco during the course of the Investigation.
