By James Conteh
Citizens across Sierra Leone, supported by civil society and media organizations, have 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).
On 19 February 2026, citizens from all districts submitted Right to Access Information (RAI) requests to the Clerk of Parliament, seeking the names and phone numbers of their MPs to enable direct engagement.
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The requests were made under the Right to Access Information Act 2013, which guarantees citizens the right to request information from public institutions.
The campaign is 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.
Eleanor Thompson, Managing Lead of Citizens’ Barray, said, “Ensuring that all MPs are accessible to their constituents strengthens transparency, improves citizen engagement, and contributes to a more open and responsive Parliament.”
However, Parliament did not respond within the fifteen (15) working days required by law.
Suafiatu Tunis from Pujehun District said, “Failure to respond undermines citizens’ right to information and weakens public trust in democratic institutions.”
In response, citizens and civic groups have formally asked RAIC to intervene and ensure Parliament complies with the law. Civil society and media partners also encouraged citizens to continue exercising their right to access information and participate actively in democratic governance.
