By Makutu Manneh
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, leader of the UNITE Party and mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), says he does not believe his performance at the council should be the primary measure of his suitability for the presidency, arguing that the limited powers granted to local governments prevented him from delivering more.
Speaking during a town hall meeting in Atlanta, United States, Bensouda said local councils in The Gambia operate under significant legal and administrative constraints that prevent them from carrying out key municipal responsibilities.
He argued that councils lack the authority to perform essential functions such as urban planning, land use management, and zoning, making meaningful development difficult.
“A city that cannot do urban planning, a city that cannot do land use management, a city that cannot do zoning—what kind of city is that? How can you develop?” he asked.
Bensouda maintained that local governments cannot fully meet the needs of their communities unless they are granted greater powers to plan, regulate, and manage development within their jurisdictions.
He said his experience as KMC mayor underscores the need for structural reforms and greater devolution of power, which he described as a key pillar of the UNITE Party’s agenda ahead of the forthcoming presidential election.
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