By Fatou Sillah
Kemo Bojang, Youth Councilor at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and spokesperson of the Unite Movement for Change (UMC), has expressed strong confidence that Mayor Talib Bensouda will emerge victorious in the 2026 presidential election if selected as the movement’s candidate.
Speaking in an interview, Bojang described Bensouda as a capable and visionary leader whose integrity and performance record make him well-suited to lead The Gambia.
“If the movement selects him as our candidate, he has the ability and he has the proven track record to become president of this country. And I think it is a general notion that he is one of the most loved politicians in this country; even those who do not support him admit his abilities and his character as an honest man with no atom of corruption in him,” Bojang said.
Bojang highlighted Bensouda’s achievements as Mayor of the Kanifing Municipality as evidence of his leadership capacity.
“You need to show that you are capable, and he has shown that he is capable through his work at the Kanifing Municipal Council. You look at what we have been able to achieve in the last couple of years—it is a testament to our ability to usher in a new and progressive republic. We have set the tone for local governance in the Gambia and have shown the Gambian people what it means to deliver services to their doorsteps,” he said.
When asked whether he believes Bensouda would win the 2026 presidential race, Bojang replied confidently, “I believe he will win.”
Addressing critics who have dismissed the Unite Movement for Change as unsustainable, Bojang said such views are misguided.
“People saying that the movement will die are just wishful thinkers. They are people who are seeking validation out of their own character, and they are people who live in a bubble and don’t know what is happening even next door to their homes. It is not a fact, and we are building,” he said.
According to Bojang, the UMC is experiencing rapid growth and resonating strongly with young Gambians.
“We are the fastest-growing movement this country has ever seen. In the space of two weeks, we have registered over 20,000 members, and this will continue to grow because it is a generational shift and a generational evolution. The youths see this as their movement and see it as the only viable vehicle and path to a progressive Gambia free from oligarchy,” he said.
Bojang concluded by emphasizing that the UMC is built on enduring ideas rather than individual personalities. “For us, it is an idea,” he said. “So an individual can leave, the leader can leave, but if an idea lives, then it transcends and lives with each and every other individual.”