Talib Benaouda, Mayor of KMC
By Buba Gagigo
Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda has defended the D8.5 million cost of fencing the Bakoteh Dumpsite, emphasizing that the project underwent a transparent and competitive bidding process—unlike the D65 million OIC project undertaken by the NPP government, which he claims was awarded without a tender to a friend of President Barrow.
“They said at KMC we built a fence at D8.5 million. A fence that is 2km, 5 meters high in many areas. It has concrete in the middle, pillars, it has wires, gates, it also has reinforced concrete foundation. They said we spent D8.5 million. The NPP government built the OIC fence. For the records, our fence was a public tender, advertised with newspapers, three bidders, and we went with one of the lowest bidders. They built a fence at OIC which is 1.1km, that is half of the Bakoteh fence and without a tender. It was given to a friend of the president. They spent D65 million,” Talib told Mengbe Kering.
The KMC Mayor urged Gambians to compare the two projects, noting that the Bakoteh fence, which underwent a transparent process, cost D8.5 million, while the OIC fence, which bypassed such procedures, cost D65 million for a smaller structure.
“Now just check, D8.5 million Vs D65 million for a smaller fence. Ours have a public tender, and there was no public tender for theirs. Our fence went to the contract committee, and went to the General Council for voting. It went to GPPA and GPPA approved. But for their fence, there was no tender, it was given to a personal friend, half the size (of Bakoteh fence) at D65 million. At the Independence Stadium, they renovated it for D400 million. There was no tender, it was hand-picked. It was the president’s friend again. I am not talking about FIFA standards but CAF standards they cannot meet after spending D400 million. At GamPetroleum, D1.2 billion is missing in thin air. At the Gambia Ports Authority, D400 million is missing in thin air. COVID funds, D600 million missing in thin air. So, we, the UDP, have a lot of work to rescue this country,” Talib said.
Talib Ahmed Bensouda is currently serving his second term as Mayor of KMC.