SLBA Gets New President, But Unity Remains The Bigger Test
Martina Baindu Egbenda has been elected President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA), but the bigger question is whether her leadership can unite a legal profession that has spent months grappling with internal disputes, contested election arrangements and questions over membership eligibility.
Egbenda was elected unopposed at the Association’s Annual General Meeting in Freetown on Monday, October 26, 2026. Her election marks a leadership transition, but it does not automatically mean that the disagreements surrounding the Bar’s governance have been resolved.
Campaigning under the theme “Unity, Inclusion and Progress,” Egbenda pledged to bring members together and rebuild confidence in the Association. Her executive team includes Nicky Spencer-Coker as Vice President, Caroline Sesay as General Secretary, Ebun Tengbeh as Public Relations Officer and Margaret Murray as Treasurer.
The real test is whether unity can become more than a campaign promise.
The road to the election was far from smooth. Earlier attempts to convene the Association’s Annual General Meeting were disrupted, while disagreements over leadership and the electoral process heightened concerns about the institution’s internal cohesion. In August, a five-member caretaker body was established to oversee the Association’s affairs and organise fresh elections.
One of the most contentious issues ahead of the October election was the provisional voters’ register. Reports published before the election stated that the 429-name list did not include outgoing President Tuma Adama Gento-Kamara, also known as Tuma Adama Jabbie, or several other members of the previous executive, including Alfred Kamanda, Sidique Tommy, Alfred Paul Juwah, Sotto Kobba and Yoko Mahiteh Brewah.
The caretaker body maintained that eligibility requirements were based on the Association’s governing documents and a High Court order. These requirements included proof of payment of membership subscriptions and conference fees by the stipulated deadline.
The reported omissions raised questions about representation and confidence in the electoral process. However, they should not, on their own, be treated as proof of wrongdoing.
Winning an election concludes the contest, but rebuilding trust is a different challenge.
Egbenda’s leadership now faces a defining test: can it bring together members whose confidence in the Association may have been affected by the disputes surrounding the election?
For the new president, achieving unity will require more than an unopposed victory. It will mean convincing members across the profession that their concerns matter and that the Association belongs to everyone, regardless of the positions they took during the leadership contest.
Can that trust be rebuilt quickly? Will members who raised concerns about the electoral process feel adequately represented under the new leadership? And can the Association move forward without leaving unresolved questions behind?
The election results alone cannot answer these questions. The answers will emerge through the decisions, actions and leadership of the new executive.
Egbenda has secured the presidency. Her bigger challenge is to turn that victory into a new beginning for the Sierra Leone Bar Association, one that prioritises inclusion, strengthens institutional confidence and restores unity across the profession.
The Bar has chosen its new president. But has it found its unity?
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