Africa-Press – Gambia. President Adama Barrow on Tuesday used a meeting with residents of the three Kiang districts to highlight what he described as unprecedented progress in rural electrification, asserting that no village in the area had electricity before he came to office.
“Before becoming president, for 52 years, no single village in Kiang had electricity,” Mr. Barrow told the crowd gathered in Kaiaf as part of his annual “Meet the People Tour.”
The president said his administration has connected 58 villages in Kiang to the national grid, leaving only 13 yet to be electrified. He pledged that the remaining communities would receive power by the end of 2026.
Breaking down the figures district by district, Mr. Barrow said he had brought electricity to 25 villages in Kiang West, where nine still lack access; 14 villages in Kiang Central, with two not yet connected; and 19 in Kiang East.
Mr. Barrow cast the projects as part of a commitment he made during his 2016 campaign, saying he had vowed to deliver within his tenure what the area had been denied for decades. “I think I have fulfilled that, so today I am in my happy place,” he said. “Kiang supported me in 2016, and no one should forget the past.”
He added that the scale of development in Kiang—particularly in electrification—exceeded what had been carried out in Jimara, the constituency he hails from.
The president also used the moment to suggest that his record should factor into future political calculations. Electing a president, he said, is about ensuring access to roads, electricity, water, hospitals, and the preservation of peace. “Now, for you, the person you are following—when that person comes into the presidency, what more can that person do?” he asked.
For More News And Analysis About Gambia Follow Africa-Press
