Martina Baindu Egbenda has been elected President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) unopposed, following the Association’s leadership election held on Monday, October 26, 2026.

The election marks a significant development in the Association’s leadership, as, for the first time in its history, the president, vice president and secretary are all emerging from the same team.

Egbenda’s election follows months of uncertainty surrounding the Association’s leadership after an earlier attempt to hold elections in July collapsed. A five-member Caretaker Body, chaired by Osman Ibrahim Kanu, was subsequently established at an Extraordinary General Meeting on August 6, 2026, to oversee the transition and organise a fresh election.

The election was scheduled to take place during the Association’s Annual General Meeting at the Freetown International Conference Centre in Bintumani, Aberdeen, with seven executive positions contested, including president, vice president, general secretary, assistant secretary general, treasurer, assistant treasurer and public relations officer.

Before the election, Egbenda, who serves as the Association’s Administrator and Registrar-General, campaigned under the theme “Unity, Inclusion and Progress,” pledging to promote lawyers’ welfare, strengthen accountability, expand opportunities for young legal practitioners and restore confidence in the Association.

Egbenda’s election is expected to place renewed focus on unity, institutional accountability and the welfare of legal practitioners as the Association seeks to address divisions surrounding its leadership and governance.