By Makutu Manneh
Karamo Ceesay, the councillor for Tallinding South at the Kanifing Municipal Council, has accused the central government of politicizing waste management, saying political interference has hindered efforts to address a problem affecting communities across The Gambia.
Speaking on Kerr Fatou’s Politic Kachaa program, Ceesay said disagreements over waste management intensified after KMC launched a major waste-management initiative in 2019. He alleged that some of the earliest resistance to the project came from President Adama Barrow and members of his government.
Ceesay pointed to duties imposed on equipment imported by KMC for the project, arguing that the episode demonstrated how politics had complicated what should have been treated as a basic public service.
“The politics involved in the waste issue is what is still affecting us,” Ceesay said. “The equipment Brikama Area Council and Kanifing Municipal Council have for waste management, no other council has it.”
Waste management, he argued, should be treated as a national responsibility rather than a political contest between the central government and local councils.
Ceesay also criticized government institutions with responsibilities related to sanitation and the environment, including the National Environment Agency, the National Disaster Management Agency and the Ministry of Environment. He said those institutions should have done more to prevent political disputes from interfering with efforts to improve waste collection and disposal.
Citing the National Environment Management Act, Ceesay said local councils alone do not have the authority or resources necessary to address the country’s broader waste-management challenges. He said councils are primarily responsible for collecting and transporting waste to designated dumping sites, while other aspects of waste management require greater involvement from national institutions.
He called on the environment minister to push for passage of a waste-management bill currently before the National Assembly, saying stronger legislation could provide a clearer framework for dealing with the country’s growing waste problem.
Ceesay also questioned the functioning of the National Environment Management Council, which he said is chaired by President Barrow, with the executive director of the National Environment Agency serving as secretary. The council also includes representatives from several government ministries, including Environment, Health, Lands and Finance.
Under the existing framework, Ceesay said, the council is expected to meet every three months to formulate and coordinate environmental policies. He alleged, however, that the body has not been meeting as required.
For Ceesay, the continuing sanitation problems are evidence that waste management cannot be solved by local councils acting alone.
He urged the central government, municipalities and environmental agencies to treat waste management as a shared public responsibility, rather than another arena for political rivalry.
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