By Ramatoulie Jawo
The Minister of Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow, has confirmed that the government has decided to retain the Hamza Barracks for use by the Gambia Armed Forces, despite initial plans to sell the property.
Minister Jallow made this clarification in response to a question from the National Assembly Member for Foni Bintang Karanai, Hon. Bakary Badjie, who asked if the Hamza Barracks, formerly a hotel, had been sold for D1.2 million following the recommendations of the Janneh Commission.
The Justice Minister explained, “It is my understanding that in 2019, before I assumed office, the Hamza Barracks was among the properties slated for auction. However, when this was brought to the attention of His Excellency the President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, he directed that the sale be aborted.”
Minister Jallow emphasized that the Hamza Barracks has not been sold and remains under the control of the Gambia Armed Forces. He also stated that there are no plans to sell the property in the future.
In a follow-up question, Hon. Assan Touray of Bakau asked whether the Minister had inquired from the President about the reason behind the cancellation of the sale. Minister Jallow responded that he had not.
Hon. Lamin Ceesay, representing Kiang West, raised concerns about the current ownership of the Hamza Barracks, given its inclusion in the list of properties recommended for sale. Minister Jallow clarified, “the Hamza barracks is among the forfeited properties to the state.”
Hon. Suwaibou Touray of Wulli Estate questioned whether all forfeited properties would be sold by the state or if some were retained for other purposes. Minister Jallow explained that the government, after reviewing the recommendations from the Janneh Commission, decided to retain certain properties for state use, while others were slated for sale. He further clarified that Hamza Barracks was among the properties initially listed for sale but ultimately retained for military use, which is why soldiers continue to occupy the site.
Minister Jallow explained that the Janneh Commission recommended the forfeiture of certain properties. “When the government issued a White Paper, it accepted those recommendations, and by operation of law, these properties were forfeited. A committee was then tasked with reviewing the list of forfeited properties to determine which should be sold and which should be retained for state use. Hamza Barracks was initially marked for sale, but the decision was later made to keep it for government use, which is why soldiers continue to occupy it,” he clarified.
Hon. Fatou Cham, National Assembly Member for Sannehmentereng, raised concerns about the state of the barracks, questioning why the government had not undertaken renovations to improve living conditions for the soldiers stationed there. Minister Jallow responded, “I really don’t know.”