By Makutu Manneh
President Adama Barrow said on Monday that his political opponents were being forced to reconsider their skepticism of his 2021 campaign pledge to expand electricity access nationwide, as he inaugurated a new phase of the government’s rural electrification project in Jah Kunda, in the Upper River Region.
Speaking before residents and local officials, Mr. Barrow declared that critics who once doubted his promise were now “bowing their heads in shame,” arguing that the visible spread of electricity across previously underserved communities had validated his record.
“They know that what they were saying was not true,” the president said. He dismissed claims from opponents that the electrification effort was not his administration’s achievement. “If President Barrow did not bring the electricity, who did?” he asked, urging supporters to challenge such assertions.
Mr. Barrow framed the project as part of a broader transformation under his leadership, emphasizing that he governs on behalf of all Gambians, including those who oppose him.
“Today, I am the leader of The Gambia and its government,” he said. “I am the president of all Gambians.” He added that even his critics rely on state services, citing public hospitals, police stations, roads, and schools as examples of institutions maintained by his government.
The president contrasted current conditions with those under former President Yahya Jammeh, who ruled for 22 years until his defeat in 2016. Mr. Barrow said communities in Kiang had previously been denied access to water and electricity because of their political leanings, a practice he described as punitive. He noted that those same villages are now connected to the national grid.
The electricity expansion, he said, fulfills a central promise of his re-election campaign in 2021. He assured communities still awaiting power that they would be connected in due course.
“This is my promise,” Mr. Barrow said. “I think now people trust me. Everybody has agreed that Gambia has changed. Everywhere is electrified now.”
Government officials say the nationwide project is aimed at extending electricity to remote rural areas as part of broader efforts to improve infrastructure and stimulate economic development, though challenges remain in reaching some isolated communities.
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