Minister Badjie Criticizes Bensouda’s Development Record, Calls for Greater Scrutiny

By Makutu Manneh

Bakary Badjie, the minister of youth and sports, has criticized the development record of Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council, arguing that residents should scrutinize his performance as he seeks to make the transition from municipal leadership to the presidency.

Speaking at a meeting of the governing National People’s Party in New Jeswang over the weekend, Badjie said residents had exercised their democratic right by electing Bensouda in 2018 and returning him for a second term in 2023. But he argued that electoral support should be accompanied by expectations of measurable development.

Badjie said some of the municipality’s markets, roads, and youth centers predated Bensouda’s administration, crediting former mayors Lie Conteh and Yankuba Colley with overseeing their construction.

“If we say, ‘Talib, count for us the markets, roads, and schools you built,’ which market will he point to?” Badjie asked.

The minister also criticized Bensouda’s record on electricity and education. He said previous KMC administrations had paid NAWEC to extend electricity to communities including Ebo Town and Latrikunda, and challenged the mayor to identify similar projects undertaken during his tenure.

“He also cannot tell you how many scholarships he has given to the children of KMC,” Badjie said.

Badjie also dismissed the significance of a library built under Bensouda’s administration, claiming that it was not widely used. He argued that residents should question the mayor about his record when assessing his presidential ambitions.

“He will say he has built a library, a library which is not being used by anybody because people do not use libraries anymore. Then the people of KMC if that person came to say he wants to be president, asked him what he has done.”

The minister also raised concerns about sanitation, saying waste remained visible across parts of the municipality.

Badjie’s remarks amounted to a broader challenge to Bensouda’s record in local government as the KMC mayor seeks to build support for his presidential bid. He urged residents to examine what Bensouda’s administration had delivered during his years in office and to hold elected officials accountable for their campaign promises.