FREETOWN, 5th June, 2026– A coalition of Sierra Leonean citizens, media bodies, and civil society organisations have issued an urgent call to the Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC), demanding immediate decisions on Parliament’s ongoing refusal to respond to our requests for the names and official contact details of elected lawmakers.
The demands of more than a dozen citizens and eight civil society and public interest media groups follow a series of statutory failures. In February 2026, the 28 citizens and civil society groups filed formal requests for the official names and contact details of Members of Parliament (MPs) to facilitate civic engagement. After Parliament ignored the statutory 15-day response window, each requester escalated the matter to the RAIC in March. The statutory deadline for the Commission to review and decide on each requester’s complaint expired on 14 April 2026.
“Access to MPs' contact details strengthens transparency, accountability, and citizens' engagement in democracy,”says Kandeh Kamara Jr, an individual requester. “You can only get this when you request, which is as of right. Therefore, RAIC should deliver its ruling expeditiously without delay.”
Following the RAIC’s statutory decision deadline, all 28 citizens and organisations submitted a joint letter to the Commission, urging it to fairly enforce the Right to Access Information Act and highlighting concerning actions by Parliament. Instead of responding directly to information requests, Parliament bypassed requesters and replied only to the RAIC, inconsistently claiming the information was both “exempt” and available on its website. The civic groups noted that the information was in fact not available online – an easily verifiable fact – and raised concerns about Parliament treating official public information as confidential, while simultaneously sharing MPs’ contact details with the RAIC without clarifying which contacts were considered exempt.
Regarding citizens’ continued efforts to access their MPs, Makmid Kamara, Executive Director of Reform Initiatives, underscored: "An open Parliament is essential to strengthening citizen participation, promoting people-centered legislation, and advancing national development.”
The coalition calls on the RAIC to communicate its decisions on the pending review applications without further delay and order Parliament to immediately provide MPs’ official contact information to citizens, sending a clear message that public information cannot be withheld. We also call on Parliament to uphold the laws it makes and fulfill its obligations to openness and democratic representation.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Citizens’ Barray Communications Team at communications@citizensbarray.org or +232 74 681 581.
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