FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Citizens, Civil Society and Media Groups Across Sierra Leone Escalate Information Requests for MPs’ Contacts to RAIC After No Response from Parliament
Freetown, Sierra Leone – 17 March 2026
In a continued demonstration of civic engagement and commitment to transparency, citizens from across Sierra Leone, supported by civil society and media organizations, have formally asked the Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) to review Parliament’s failure to respond to requests for contact information of Members of Parliament (MPs).
It could be recalled that on 19 February 2026, citizens from each district of the country submitted right to access information (RAI) requests to the Clerk of Parliament, seeking the names and telephone numbers of their MPs to enable them to directly engage with their elected representatives. The requests were made under the Right to Access Information Act 2013, which gives citizens the right to request information from public institutions.
Led by Citizens’ Barray, Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), the 50/50 Group, Budget Advocacy Network (BAN), Reform Initiatives, the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ), the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), and Truth Media, the RAI campaign comes amid rising concerns from citizens that they do not know or cannot access their MPs. According to Eleanor Thompson, Managing Lead of Citizens’ Barray, “Ensuring that all MPs are accessible to their constituents strengthens transparency, improves citizen engagement, and contributes to a more open and responsive Parliament.”
However, the fifteen (15) working days provided by law for a public authority to respond to a RAI request have passed without any response from Parliament. “Failure to respond undermines citizens’ right to information and weakens public trust in democratic institutions,” emphasised Suafiatu Tunis, who made a RAI request for the contacts of her MPs from Pujehun District.
In light of Parliament’s failure to respond within the required timeframe, each of the citizens and civic groups have now formally requested the RAIC to review the matter and take the necessary steps to ensure Parliament’s compliance with the law.
The civil society and media partners encourage citizens across Sierra Leone to continue using their right to access information to request information from public institutions and participate actively in democratic governance.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Citizens’ Barray Communications Team at communications@citizensbarray.org or +232 74 681 581.
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