Freetown, 19th March, 2026 — Citizens across Sierra Leone, backed by civil society and media organizations, have petitioned the Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC) to intervene after Parliament failed to respond to requests for the contact details of Members of Parliament (MPs).
On February 19, citizens from every district submitted Right to Access Information (RAI) requests to the Clerk of Parliament, seeking the names and telephone numbers of their MPs. The requests, made under the Right to Access Information Act of 2013, were intended to help constituents directly engage with their elected representatives.
The campaign is spearheaded 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.
“Ensuring that all MPs are accessible to their constituents strengthens transparency, improves citizen engagement, and contributes to a more open and responsive Parliament,” said Eleanor Thompson, Managing Lead of Citizens’ Barray.
By law, public authorities are required to respond to RAI requests within 15 working days. That deadline has now passed without any reply from Parliament. “Failure to respond undermines citizens’ right to information and weakens public trust in democratic institutions,” emphasized Suafiatu Tunis, who submitted a request for her MPs’ contacts in Pujehun District.
In response, citizens and civic groups have formally asked the RAIC to review the matter and take steps to ensure Parliament complies with the law.
Civil society and media partners are encouraging Sierra Leoneans to continue exercising their right to access information, stressing that active citizen participation is vital to strengthening democratic governance.
