“This Project Is Ultimately About People” — Mayor Bensouda Launches KMC Digital Policymaking Initiative

By Seedy Jobe

Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Lord Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda has described the council’s newly launched digital policymaking initiative as a transformative step toward smarter, more responsive local governance—one that he says goes far beyond technology.

Mayor Bensouda made the remarks on Tuesday at the official launch of the “Leveraging Digital Addresses” project, funded by the Fund for Innovation in Development (FID) and implemented in partnership with researchers from Paris Dauphine University, Sciences Po Paris, and the University of The Gambia.

“Today is not simply about technology. It is about building a smarter, more efficient, and more responsive municipality through innovation, data, and partnership,” the mayor told attendees.

Outlining the council’s recent trajectory, Mayor Bensouda noted that KMC has invested heavily in modernising local governance in recent years, with improvements spanning waste management, revenue collection, urban planning, and transparency. Digital addressing systems and mapping tools introduced through earlier partnerships, he said, are already enabling more informed decision-making and more effective service delivery across the municipality.

“This new phase will help strengthen our data systems, improve planning, and deepen evidence-based policymaking within KMC,” he said.

At the heart of the initiative, the mayor explained, is a fundamental shift in how the council approaches governance—from assumption to evidence. “Our ambition is simple: to ensure that decisions are guided not by assumptions but by accurate information and the real needs of our people,” he said.

He was emphatic that despite its technical dimensions, the project’s true purpose is human. “This project is ultimately about people. It is about improving service delivery, strengthening trust between citizens and institutions, and building a municipality that is cleaner, smarter, and more accountable.”

Mayor Bensouda extended warm appreciation to the project’s development partners, reserving particular thanks for the French diplomatic mission and its head, Dr. Stéphane Divert Lebel. Referencing an earlier compliment from the diplomat, the mayor struck a characteristically light note.

“I wish to particularly thank the head of the French diplomatic mission, my good friend, Dr. Stéphane Divert Lebel, for once describing me as visionary. Coming from the French, a people known for philosophy, diplomacy, and turning coffee conversations into intellectual conferences, I accept the compliment with great humility and responsibility,” Mayor Bensouda said.

He also acknowledged the work of local team lead Lamin Badjie and KMC staff who worked alongside international researchers. “I want to thank Lamin Badjie and the local team for working so seamlessly with our partners and helping them adapt, adjust, and acclimatize to Gambian life,” he added.

Closing his remarks, Mayor Bensouda distilled what he described as a central lesson drawn from his engagements in both Paris and Kanifing: “Whether in Paris or Kanifing, good governance depends on good information.”