My Curiosity: Understanding the Massembeh Ward, Kiang, and Mansakonko.

Massambeh Ward Candidates Bakary Jarjue and Lamin Jarjue © Standard Newspaper

By Yero Jallow,

As I followed on the Massembeh ward, I actually fell in love with the village. I don't know what the name means or even what the village's history is. Factually, the name is really cool. Massembeh.

It is perfectly located in Kiang, very close to Soma. Being the rural person I am, my taste of life is mostly rural. I love the village, especially the landscapes, the vegetation, the animals, the waters (rivers), and the space. The display of nature is beautiful. No traffic congestion, no crowded areas, no poor sanitation, not much pollution, and the usual sunshine and greenery are therapeutic. You will be free like a bird. 

I was not able to establish the number of registered voters for the Massembeh ward. The Gambia's Census Bureau didn’t give me the population demographics in the area either. It would have been nice to have the numbers (results) from the last council elections. That might give some predictions on the likely outcome. Maybe not. There are many factors at play here. At the forefront are poor rhetoric and divisive politics. Likely voter inducement as well. I do not see voter apathy being a factor; the turnout might be maximised due to the current high focus and rallies.

IEC, in their press releases, stated that, following the passing of the Councillor, Mr. Bakary Koita (May God grant him Jannah), the IEC will be conducting the ward by-election on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

Source: https://iec.gm/.

Lamin Cham, "The Standard," reported on February 5, 2025, thus:

"The NPP candidate for the by-election is Mr. Lamin Jarjue from Massembeh, while the UDP selected Bakary Jarjue, also from the same village. The ward comprises three major settlements, Kolior, Jomari, and Massembeh. The by-election is called after the demise of Bakary Cheren Korita, who was elected on a UDP ticket."

Source: https://standard.gm/nominations-in-massembeh-ward-by.../.

Analysis:

It appears the late councillor was of the UDP. The NPP is on an attempt to grab the seat. As we draw closer to the 2026 presidential elections, this seat could be a litmus test, due to the way politics is analysed locally, especially the mind game. The ward might be too small to be used as a gauge, compared to the total 962,157 registered voters in the Gambia. It is also one ward out of 120 known wards.

It is interesting that there is no independent candidate, or any of the others, from the rest of the 17 political parties out of the total 19 registered. This may be due to a lack of political bases, resources, or a short timeline to field a candidate. Even where the other political parties are not fielding candidates, they can really influence the outcome by asking their supporters to vote for their desired candidate in a two-way race.

Conclusion:

The Gambia is a young democracy. People should nurture their bonds and relationships and not allow politics to divide them. All political parties need to work hard on this. After all, Massembeh will remain; some of the corrupt and divisive politicians will go back to their political bases, some with even leftover money, to enjoy, build big houses, and even start being ATM machines in society in the name of "big man syndrome" to buy status. An inferiority complex is a killer.

Mostly, those that are with little or no substance will think they can play with the people's intelligence, using money and material to control, divide, and rule. That is a poor recipe with no benefit. In fact, short-lived. In the end, you, the citizens, are the champs and true powers—you pay all these politicians in power, their everything! In case you forget, it is Gambia's revenue, taxpayers' money, and other loans/gifts for the country that are being displayed around in open space. Hope that gives you true power!

Halifa Sallah of PDOIS, in his book, Nurturing Sovereign Citizens, page 23, stated:

“The problematic of the preliminary steps taken in laying the foundation of the democratisation and peacebuilding architecture needs interrogation to concretely identify and lay bare, with incontrovertible accuracy and exactitude, the building blocks underlying the foundation of a republic—this gave true meaning and relevance to the phenomena we refer to as democracy and peace, which cannot be nurtured unless their content and context are fully grasped.”

Long live the Gambia, and long live Massembeh!