Martin K.N. Kollie (born [when?]) is a Liberian civil-society activist, youth empowerment campaigner, and philanthropist, known for his work in public accountability, education, and vocational skills initiatives in Liberia.[1][2]
Kollie grew up in Monrovia, Liberia. He has described his upbringing as one of struggle and resilience, which inspired his later activism and the founding of his charitable foundation.[3] Giving back to society, Kollie provides scholarships to 17 young Liberians[4]
Activism and public advocacy
Kollie has been active in civil-society, particularly regarding government budget allocations and public accountability. He has publicly criticized national budget allocations and questioned spending priorities, particularly increases affecting high ranking offices and certain security-sector allocations; these critiques have been covered by local news outlets and analyzed by fact-checking organizations.[5][6][7]
In mid-2024 Kollie announced his resignation from a government-appointed asset-recovery team; media reports covered both the circulated resignation letter and subsequent public discussion about the team's internal disputes.[8][9]
Philanthropy
Kollie is founder of the Martin K.N. Kollie Foundation (MKNK foundation). The foundation has publicly announced and distributed scholarships and small community donations, including a scholarship program described in multiple news reports and on the foundation website. Coverage states the foundation awarded a combined L$1,000,000 in scholarships to cohort of students and has funded specific training and media/TVET sponsorship.[10][11]
The foundation has also been reported to make in-kind donations such as rice distribution during Ramadan, donations of wheelchair and sewing machine to individual vulnerable persons and multiple donations of cement to the Press Union of Liberia headquarters project, as reported in local media.[12][13]
Controversies
Kollie's public activities have been subject to dispute and independent fact-checking:
An Africa-Press investigation alleged Kollie's involvement in a 2022 case regarding the leaking of bank account information at the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and a related US$700,000 libel case involving Ecobank Group.[14][15]
Independent fact-checkering by Local Voices Liberia found some of Kollie's public claims about budget figures and specific allotments to be inaccurate.[16][7][9]
A civil-society group publicly criticized Kollie for spreading unverified allegations regarding a government minister's property ownership.[17]
Exile and personal security claims
Kollie has described himself in media interviews and in public posts as an activist living outside Liberia and has reported threats to his family and personal safety; local outlets carried his accounts of those threats in earlier interviews and columns.[18][19]
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