Africa-Press – Gambia. Talib Ahmed Bensouda, Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council and a leading figure in the Unite Movement for Change (UMC), outlined the political vision of his fledgling movement during a recent appearance on the talk show For The People By The People.
Bensouda described the UMC as a movement rooted in four guiding principles: nation, integrity, transformation, and equality. He said the group was born from a small circle of committed individuals who chose to forge a new political path rather than align with an existing party.
“We didn’t join the ruling party; we started from scratch,” he said. “When we first discussed it, it was pretty much five people in a room. So, I believe it’s the right thing, it’s the righteous thing, and we’re on the right path.”
He dismissed allegations linking the UMC to the No-To Alliance or former President Yahya Jammeh as misinformation. “We’ve seen certain stories about the groups I had from Foni; actually, I think it was just bad propaganda,” he said. “It was a group of people from Foni, not just Kanilai. There is no talk or plans in the works between the No-To Alliance and the Unit Movement.”
Mayor Bensouda stressed that the movement’s approach is grounded in principles rather than personalities. “We want to remove tribal politics in Gambia,” he said. “We want to remove politics of self-interest, personality politics. We don’t want anybody to follow the movement because of my personality, including myself. We want people to buy into the principles.”
Since its establishment, the UMC has reported setting up seven political bureaus across the country and registering tens of thousands of members—growth that Bensouda credits to genuine grassroots engagement and a commitment to building a people-centered movement.
“We don’t think we’re set up to contest or win one election,” Mayor Bensouda added. “We’re here as a going concern to change governance in the country. However, it’s also about winning elections, and 2026 is part of our targets.”
Bensouda also highlighted the UMC’s efforts to build a leadership structure that prevents the concentration of power. “We spent hours debating whether the national president or party leader of our party should be an automatic flag-bearer,” Bensouda revealed. “In the end, we concluded that it should not be automatic. It should be an entirely different process.”
As the movement continues to expand, Mayor Bensouda expressed confidence in its future trajectory. “I know we will grow like a wildfire,” he said.
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