The Mayor of Kanifing Municipality, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, has denied any knowledge of his council’s involvement in the controversial acquisition of tractors previously belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh.
The tractors in question were part of the ex-dictator’s seized assets, which the state had put up for sale. Reports circulating on social media alleged that some of these tractors ended up with the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), sparking public concern over transparency and accountability in the disposal of national assets.
However, in a public statement issued via social media, Mayor Bensouda dismissed these claims, stating that there is no record or recollection within KMC that supports the notion the council purchased or received any of Jammeh’s tractors.
“I have spoken to the administrators who were in charge at the time and there is no information regarding the purchase of the said tractors on the list circulating via social media,” Bensouda said.
He recalled that in 2018, prior to the launch of KMC’s landmark waste management initiative, The Mbalit Project, he had requested state support for tractors to help with waste collection. “However, there is no evidence, record or recollection that the said tractors were delivered or purchased,” he added.
Bensouda clarified that the only tractors currently in the council’s possession are two secondhand units inherited from the previous administration, one of which is now out of service.
“KMC only have two secondhand tractors which were inherited from the former council (one of which is out of service) and we now depend on 30 Mbalit vehicles (bought brand new) for all our waste management services,” he explained.
The controversy, surrounding the sale of Jammeh’s seized assets continues to raise questions about the transparency of the process. Critics argue that many of the assets were sold at values far below their actual worth, with little public oversight or clarity about the beneficiaries.
As pressure mounts on government institutions to account for the disposal of these properties, Bensouda’s statement appears to distance KMC from any direct involvement in the matter.
