The Coordinator of the Tripartite Steering Committee Secretariat (TSCS), Ngolo Katta, has provided development partners with a detailed update on the implementation of the tripartite recommendations.
“I am here again to provide a comprehensive update on the implementation of the tripartite recommendations. This morning I had a comprehensive briefing and so I bring you greetings from the Chief Minister Moinina David Sengeh; I am impressed at the volume of work done; and I am curious to record more progress as we approach the close of this year,” Mr. Katta told a donor technical coordination meeting convened by development partners.
The meeting took place on Thursday 28 August 2025, at the Irish Embassy conference room in Spur Loop, Freetown.
Partnerships and Coordination
Mr. Katta revealed that the Secretariat had hosted a maiden inter-agency meeting with election management bodies and other agencies responsible for implementing the recommendations. He thanked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sierra Leone for agreeing to fund all future meetings.
He also highlighted a separate partnership meeting with non-state actors, including the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), Independent Radio Network (IRN), Talking Drum Studio and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ). These organisations, alongside the Independent Media Commission (IMC) and Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), are currently reviewing their legal frameworks with support from the European Union, International IDEA, the Government of Sierra Leone, and other partners.
As part of these efforts, the groups have been tasked with producing extensive public information material on the tripartite process to strengthen public trust and improve relations between the electorate and the Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs).
Progress and Challenges
“The path is clearer, the trajectory is revealing and the outcome predictable. We now know where we will arrive! But there is little uncertainty about when,” Mr. Katta told partners.
He noted that delivering on the recommendations would require significant financial commitment from both the Secretariat and the implementing agencies.
According to the Coordinator, statistical data in the Secretariat’s possession shows “a comfortable achievement” in the implementation process. Key institutions including the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), the Office of National Security (ONS), the Attorney-General’s office, the SLBC, IMC and the Independent Police Complaints Board (IPCB) have already passed the 50% progress mark.
These advances, Mr. Katta said, are the result of coordinated action involving the Office of the Chief Minister, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, the Public Sector Reform Unit, EMBs, political parties, development partners, civil society, and the media.
Donor Concerns and Next Steps
Development partners raised questions about divergent recommendations, disaggregated election data, and the overlap between operations and administration at the ECSL.
Mr. Katta disclosed that a consultant had been engaged to address voter registration mechanics and results management systems, while a management and functional review of the ECSL would resolve operational overlaps.
He added that in the coming weeks, the TSCS will roll out civic engagement activities nationwide, including capacity-building for people with special needs, vulnerable women and youth, as well as training for the media on reporting the tripartite process.
The UNDP is currently managing a basket fund to support these civic engagement and training activities.
