Segbwema
| Segbwema, Sierra Leone | |
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 Segbwema, Sierra Leone
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| Coordinates: 8°0′N 10°57′W / 8.000°N 10.950°WCoordinates: 8°0′N 10°57′W / 8.000°N 10.950°W | |
| Country | Sierra Leone |
| Province | Eastern Province |
| District | Kailahun District |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 16,532 |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC-5) |
Segbwema is a town in Kailahun District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. The town is a major business and agricultural centre. Segbwema lies approximately 20 miles northeast of Kenema and about 225 miles south-east of Freetown (further by road). The population of Segbwema was 7,961 in the 2004 census with a current estimate of 16,532 [1].
The population of Segbwema is ethnically diverse, though the Mende people make up the majority of the population. Segbwema is home to the Nixon Memorial Hospital [2][3], one of the main hospitals in Kailahun District. The hospital serves Segbwema and its surrounding areas
Segbwema is a hilly town that is divided roughly in two by the small river Nyeya, which is a tributary of the Maleh river. The town belongs to and is the headquarters of Njaluahun chiefdom, a major chiefdom nestled between the Moa and Maleh rivers. Njaluahun is bounded by the eastern chiefdoms of Nongowa, Jawei and Kpeje.
Contrary to popular descriptions of Segbwema as a purely Mende town, Segbwema is one of the most diverse small towns in Sierra Leone and the human geography of the town reflects this diversity. The main indigenous ethnic group in Segbwema, as the case in most towns of the Eastern Region, are the Mendes. The Mendes are mainly concentrated in the Taima, Pendembulo, Kabalahun, Manina, Sosso Town, Largo Square and Nyekehun sections of Segbwema. Madingos and Fulas represent the other main ethnic groups and they are mostly located in Konotown, which is arguably the largest section of Segbwema. Temnes are mainly in Sosso Town and Kono town and the indigenous Limba population are located at the four main entrances to Segbwema: Largo Square, Kabalahun, Sosso town and the Segbwma-Daru road. Segbwema also has ethnic Hausa, Konyanka and Krio populations. The reason for the multi-ethnic nature of Segbwema is that it was a major trading center during the heyday of the railway as it was the last major rail town in the Eastern Province and also because it had the best health care center in the Eastern province, the Nixon Memorial Methodist Hospital.
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