Bensouda Pledges Sweeping Health, Education, and Housing Reforms, Criticizes Barrow’s Spending Priorities

By Seedy Jobe

Coalition 2026 presidential candidate Talib Ahmed Bensouda has pledged sweeping reforms in healthcare, education, youth employment, and affordable housing, accusing President Adama Barrow’s administration of prioritizing government spending on luxury vehicles over essential public services.

Speaking at a Coalition 2026 rally in Basori, Kombo East, Mr. Bensouda described the condition of public healthcare facilities as alarming, arguing that the resources needed to improve hospitals were available but were being diverted to less pressing government expenditures.

The Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) mayor cited conditions at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul, where he claimed patients were sometimes forced to lie on the floor of the accident and emergency unit amid muddy conditions. He also alleged that overcrowding at other health facilities had resulted in patients sharing hospital beds.

Mr. Bensouda recounted a visit to Bwiam General Hospital two weeks earlier, during which he said he discovered that the facility had no running water, forcing healthcare workers to fetch water from the surrounding village.

He further claimed that the hospital, which he said serves a population of approximately 10,000 people, had only one maternity bed and lacked adequate accommodation for nurses.

According to Mr. Bensouda, a nurse at the hospital estimated that D5 million would be sufficient to address the facility’s most pressing challenges.

“I spoke with a nurse in the hospital and asked her how much it would cost to fix the problem; she said five million dalasi. But one minister’s car is worth 12 million dalasi,” he said.

He contrasted the estimated cost of improving the hospital with government expenditure on official vehicles, claiming that President Barrow’s convoy consists of nearly 100 vehicles valued at approximately D300 million.

Mr. Bensouda argued that selling those vehicles could generate enough money to finance significant improvements in healthcare facilities across the country.

He pledged that a Coalition 2026 administration would prioritize investment in hospitals, improve working conditions for healthcare professionals, and introduce competitive salaries to retain doctors and nurses.

Turning to education, Mr. Bensouda outlined plans to transform Foni and Kombo East, including Faraba Banta, into major educational centers with universities operating at international standards.

Drawing on his experience as a student in Canada, where he said he worked in maintenance and as a disc jockey at a local radio station, he highlighted the importance of building university communities that provide students with employment opportunities and essential services.

He said Canadian universities typically offer access to transportation, healthcare facilities, recreational centers, and employment opportunities that help students balance their academic and financial responsibilities.

Mr. Bensouda contrasted those conditions with the challenges facing students at the University of The Gambia’s Faraba Banta campus, where students have recently protested inadequate transportation and food services.

He argued that the campus’s remote location, combined with limited essential services, had created unnecessary obstacles to learning.

The Coalition 2026 leader pledged to establish an education system that meets international standards, alongside a student loan program modeled on Canada’s approach to financing higher education.

Under his proposal, students would receive financial support to pursue four years of university education and begin repaying their loans after securing employment.

Addressing irregular migration, Mr. Bensouda said young Gambians undertaking the dangerous journey to Europe, commonly known as the Backway, were driven primarily by economic hardship and the need to support their families.

He argued that young people were not risking their lives simply because of Europe’s attractions but because they lacked viable economic opportunities at home.

He promised to create conditions that would allow Gambians to build successful lives in their own country rather than feel compelled to seek opportunities abroad.

Mr. Bensouda said women’s economic empowerment would be central to his administration’s development strategy.

He pledged that where male and female applicants were equally qualified for government contracts, his administration would give priority to women.

He argued that investing in women had broader economic and social benefits because their earnings often support entire households and communities.