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The Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs has announced the suspension of the electoral process for the selection of Paramount Chiefs in three chiefdoms across the country.
In an official communication dated March 13, 2026, the ministry stated that the electoral process for the Paramount Chieftaincy elections in Kenema District, Kailahun District and Bonthe District has been placed on hold following concerns raised within the affected chiefdoms.
According to the letter issued from the ministry’s headquarters at the Youyi Building in Brookfields, Freetown, the decision specifically affects the elections for Paramount Chiefs in the Dodo Chiefdom, Jaluahun Chiefdom and Imperri Chiefdom.
“I am directed to refer to the above subject and to inform you that in order to address the concerns raised in the various chiefdoms, the electoral process for the elections of Paramount Chiefs of Dodo Chiefdom, Kenema District, Jaluahun Chiefdom, Kailahun District and Imperri Chiefdom in Bonthe District have been put on hold,” the statement read.
The correspondence, referenced MLG/43/02, was issued by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Bai M. Thuray.
The notice was addressed to the Provincial Secretaries for the Eastern and Southern Regions, with copies sent to several key officials including the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, the Electoral Commissioner of the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, the Director of Local Government, and district administrators in the affected areas.
District officials copied in the communication include the Senior District Officer in Kenema, the District Officer in Kailahun and the District Officer in Bonthe.
The ministry did not specify the nature of the concerns that prompted the suspension but indicated that the decision was taken to allow authorities to address issues raised in the chiefdoms before the electoral process continues.
The letter concluded by requesting cooperation from the concerned authorities, stating that their “usual understanding is highly solicited.”
The Paramount Chieftaincy elections form part of the traditional governance structure in Sierra Leone, where Paramount Chiefs are selected through a process involving eligible ruling houses within the chiefdoms. The ministry has not yet indicated when the suspended electoral processes will resume.
