By Ragan M. Conteh

The Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Tamba Lamina has explained the benefits of redistricting under the revised Local Government Act of 2022. He emphasized that while the Constitution grants the president the authority to establish new localities and councils, President Bio has directed broad stakeholder engagement to ensure inclusivity.

The Minister highlighted that redistricting will improve equitable resource distribution, service delivery, and local revenue mobilization.

He announced that two new districts, Kpanguma and Bandajuma, will be created, with Freetown gaining two administrative councils and the Western Rural Area three, to enhance effective governance and development.

Deputy Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion, Moses Margao, praised Sierra Leone’s achievement in the Global Peace Index 2025, where the country is ranked 57th globally, 5th in Africa, 2nd in West Africa, and 1st in the Mano River Union. He attributed this progress to the successful implementation of the eight resolutions from the Agreement for National Unity, signed between the government of Sierra Leone and the main opposition APC following the 2023 elections.

Ngola Katta, Coordinator of the Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat, updated the public on the ongoing consultations regarding recommendation 78 of the Agreement for National Unity. The recommendation mandates nationwide dialogue on Sierra Leone’s electoral systems, First Past the Post (FPTP) and the District Block Proportional Representation (PR) system, to determine which is most suitable for the 2028 elections and beyond. He stressed that whichever system is adopted must uphold the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act (GEWE) and ensures inclusion of vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities. A final report will be presented to the Steering Committee before being forwarded to Cabinet for consideration.

Hon. Mariama Zombo, Member of Parliament for Pujehun District and Public Relations Officer of the Parliamentary Female Caucus, advocated strongly for the Proportional Representation system. She argued that PR has enabled women to achieve 30.4% representation in Parliament, a significant milestone that risks reversal under the First Past the Post system, which she described as patriarchal and male-dominated. Hon. Zombo called for stronger regulatory measures to safeguard women’s representation and advance gender equality in governance.