Talib Ahmed Bensouda, Mayor of KMC
By Buba Gagigo
Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) has shed light on his decision not to attend President Barrow’s recent “Meet the People” tour meeting in Bundung. Mayor Bensouda emphasized that his absence was rooted in the event’s political nature and the lack of timely communication regarding the president’s visit to the KMC region.
Mayor Bensouda revealed that while he traditionally welcomes the president to the region every year, he opted not to attend the meetings due to its political nature.
Bensouda recalled attending the meetings in 2018 and 2019 but abstained after a split occurred, which resulted in insults directed at his party leader. Despite his decision, he emphasized his respect for the presidency. “I will give him respect,” Bensouda stated during an interview with Kerr Fatou.
“Every year I received the president from Abuko no matter what politics happened. One thing I said I will not attend the meeting because the meeting is political in my perspective. I attended in 2018 and 2019. When the split happened, I didn’t attend. There were even insults directed to my party leader, and I cannot sit and witness that. But he’s the president, I will give him respect,” Talib told Kerr Fatou.
The mayor stressed his consistent attendance at welcoming ceremonies for the president in the KMC region during the tour but claimed that this particular event’s details were not communicated adequately.
Bensouda highlighted the importance of early communication, stating that if the organizers genuinely wanted his attendance, they should have sent an invitation in advance of the event. He recounted a similar incident during the Setsetal event, where he was not officially invited but attended to support the initiative.
“So I assume that they are now having executive coordinators. So that guy handles the role. The day that he was supposed to come to KM, to go to the stadium. It was that afternoon that I received a call that there was a letter that the president was coming to the stadium and also visit the OIC project. That time I had already left the office, it was the same day they brought the letter and I asked about the date of the letter, they said yesterday.
“So if you are coming to the region, and you genuinely want the mayor to attend, which I have no problem with, they should have communicated earlier. Me I enjoy my little moments with Barrow, even when he came for the Setsetal I was not invited that day, but I knew they needed trucks. I came out, and I knew there was a political motive behind it. I knew he came to sell his candidate (the minister of Youth and Sports). So this one I had already left office, the other one I got notification even though it was not official,” the KM mayor said.
In offering advice for improvements in Gambian politics, Mayor Bensouda urged a change in the timing of event invitations, emphasizing the need for proactive communication. He suggested that such changes would allow for more meaningful participation in events related to development, such as visits to the stadium and OIC projects.
“Basically, these are some of the things we need to change. The tour has been happening for weeks, you knew you were coming to KMC, is not him but his administration. They should have sent an invite one week before, what excuse would I have? I would have never gone to the Bundung meeting because it is political, but I would have gone to the stadium, that’s development and I would have gone to the OIC,” he said.