By: Miracle Seer
Presidential candidate for the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Martina Baindu Egbenda Esq., has continued to build momentum across the country as her “Uniting the Bar” campaign reached Kono District, where she engaged Benchers and legal practitioners in a strategic consultative meeting focused on the future of the legal profession.
The engagement attracted broad support from members of the Bar, many of whom expressed confidence in Madam Egbenda’s ability to restore unity, strengthen professional standards, and provide inclusive leadership for lawyers throughout Sierra Leone.
Welcoming Madam Egbenda and her team, Musa Baratay Esq., Head of Chambers at M. Baratay and Associates, voiced concern over what he described as increasing divisions within the legal profession under the current Bar leadership. He endorsed her candidacy, describing her as a leader with the vision, temperament, and capacity to reunite the Bar and restore confidence in the Association.
Bernadette Mallah Esq, a practitioner of Kakua Chambers in Bo City and candidate for the position of Assistant Treasurer of the Sierra Leone Bar, described her as “a unifier and bridge-builder” committed to fostering solidarity and cooperation among legal practitioners.
The would be President Martina Egbenda Esq described her candidacy as a movement centered on unity, inclusion, and professional advancement. She pledged to promote “One Bar, One Voice, One Commitment,” ensuring that lawyers across Sierra Leone—regardless of location—have equal access to training opportunities, scholarships, mentorship programmes, and professional development initiatives.
She emphasized the critical role lawyers must continue to play in advancing justice sector reforms, strengthening collaboration with key institutions, and enhancing professional excellence through continuous legal education and capacity building.
She announced that her manifesto would be officially launched next week, providing a comprehensive roadmap for reform, inclusion, and institutional strengthening within the Sierra Leone Bar Association.
Tamba Ngaujah Musa Esq., of Edrina Chambers, highlighted the importance of sustained engagement with lawyers across the country and advocated for greater inclusiveness, capacity building, and equal participation for practitioners in the provinces.
Alpha O. Kamara Esq., Defence Counsel with the Legal Aid Board, welcomed Madam Egbenda’s candidacy and expressed concern over the events surrounding the Kenema elections. He called for a united Bar that speaks with one voice and publicly declared his support for her leadership bid.
Alie Emmanuel Sahr Ngaujah Esq., Head of Chambers at Edrina Chambers, commended Madam Egbenda for directly engaging provincial lawyers and pledged his support for her candidacy, describing her as a unifying leader capable of reforming and repositioning the Bar Association.
Martina Egbenda reaffirmed her commitment to an inclusive, transparent, and accountable Bar Association, promising to work with lawyers across Sierra Leone to advance professionalism and protect practitioners’ interests.
Her outreach in Kono represents another key step in her nationwide campaign, which is gaining increasing support from legal practitioners advocating for a more united and progressive Sierra Leone Bar Association.
