By Alieu Jallow
In an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, the CEO of the Kerewan Area Council (KAC), Sainabou Martin, candidly acknowledged the council’s current inability and lack of capacity to effectively manage dumpsites in the North Bank Region. She attributed this to significant financial and resource constraints that continue to hinder the council’s waste management efforts.
This issue was a key point of discussion at a recent Technical Advisory Committee meeting, funded by ActionAid The Gambia. The meeting served as a critical platform for stakeholders to present achievements and discuss challenges in the region’s development.
Madam Martin noted that waste management remains one of the council’s most pressing challenges. She cited persistent financial and logistical limitations as major obstacles to maintaining and operating dumpsites effectively.
“We acknowledge that managing waste is a serious challenge for the council. Our current priority is to collect waste from major settlements like Barra and Farafenni and move it out of communities to proper dumping sites. However, even this is difficult due to accessibility issues—some communities, such as Berending, have even protested against waste being dumped near their settlements or surrounding areas,” she stated.
During the interview, CEO Martin also addressed a grievance raised by the Village Development Committee (VDC) of Barra. The VDC alleged that the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) had been paying royalties to the council without the village seeing any tangible benefits in return, particularly in waste collection.
“We engaged the GPA after the VDC of Barra informed us they believed the Ports Authority had been paying royalties to the council over the years, yet Barra hadn’t benefited from any waste management support. GPA, according to them, made these payments due to the waste generated by ferry passengers crossing from Banjul to Barra. Unfortunately, we were redirected to the Ferries Department, where we discovered that the Gambia Ferry Services had not been paying any royalties to the council,” Martin explained.
She added that a bilateral agreement had previously been reached and a proposal was developed by the council—but the matter has remained unresolved for the past two years. Despite this setback, Martin expressed determination to seek alternative solutions.
“We’ve explored several options, including a partnership with the financial institution Supersonicz to procure two waste trucks. A single brand-new truck costs about D6 to D7 million, which is beyond our financial capacity. Through this partnership, we plan to acquire the trucks on a refinancing basis and repay the cost over time,” she revealed.
Looking ahead, Martin said the council is also seeking international partnerships to support waste management initiatives. She assured residents that the procurement process for the two trucks, now approved by the Gambia Public Procurement Authority, is advancing.
“We have received the necessary approval from the Public Procurement Agency. So, with or without external partners, we are moving forward. We’re working with our financier, and by the grace of the Almighty, the people will witness significant improvements in waste management within the next 90 days,” she assured.
In her concluding remarks, CEO Martin made a direct appeal to residents of the North Bank Region to fulfill their civic duty by paying taxes. She particularly urged market vendors, especially women, to pay the full D10 daily market ticket fee, noting that many only pay D5—a practice that undermines the council’s capacity to fund critical services.
“I urge our people to pay their taxes fully and on time—especially the market vendors. Those daily D10 payments are vital. Don’t give D5 to collectors. That money won’t reach the council. Pay the full D10 and ask for your receipt. That’s the only way we can maintain clean markets and deliver the services our people demand,” she appealed.
CEO Martin’s call for greater civic responsibility and the council’s resolve to address its waste management limitations highlight a strong commitment to improving public services in the North Bank Region, despite ongoing challenges.
