Mayor Bensouda and Wife © Askanwi
By Fatoumata Konteh
Coalition 2026, led by presidential flag bearer Talib Ahmed Bensouda, launched its manifesto on Thursday, 22nd October 2026, at the Prime Atlantic Hotel in Banjul, outlining a series of proposed reforms aimed at addressing the cost of living, unemployment, corruption, healthcare, education and economic development.
Dubbed “the People’s Manifesto” by coalition representatives, the manifesto is built around three main pillars: governance and trust, human development, and economic integration. It contains 66 priority actions across 13 sections and is designed to guide the coalition’s proposed five-year mandate.
Speaking at the launch, Secretary General of the UNITE Party, Dembo Kanteh, explained that the manifesto was developed through consultations with Gambians across the country and in the diaspora.
He added that the coalition had engaged women, men and young people to understand their concerns and incorporate their views into its policy proposals.
Kanteh revealed that the cost of living crisis was among the most pressing challenges facing Gambians, with many households struggling to afford basic necessities as wages fail to keep pace with rising prices.
He also highlighted youth unemployment, irregular migration, inadequate healthcare, poor educational outcomes, corruption, unreliable electricity and water supplies, declining agricultural production and rising national debt as major challenges confronting the country.
“If a government cannot create an environment where people are able to put food on the table, that is a lack of governance,” he said.
Kanteh further criticised the state of the country’s education and healthcare systems, arguing that shortages of qualified teachers, inadequate medical equipment and insufficient skilled health personnel were undermining the delivery of essential services.
Shifting his attention to agriculture, Kanteh expressed concern about the country’s dependence on imported food, calling for greater attention to domestic production and food security.
To address these challenges, he argued that Coalition 2026’s People’s Manifesto offered solutions to these challenges and would provide a framework for improving the living conditions of Gambians if entrusted with power.
Governance and Accountability
Presenting the first pillar, Lamin Gano outlined the coalition’s proposed reforms to strengthen governance, combat corruption and restore public confidence in state institutions.
Among the proposals are the digitisation of government operations within two years, the establishment of a public procurement platform within 12 months, stronger asset declaration requirements and systematic follow-up on audit findings.
The coalition also proposes constitutional and legislative reforms, including completing the constitutional reform process and holding a referendum within two years.
Other commitments include strengthening judicial independence, protecting fundamental rights, introducing presidential term limits and separating the offices of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
Gano posited that good governance must be supported by institutions that operate transparently, professionally and in the public interest.
He also emphasised the importance of national unity, saying citizens should be treated fairly regardless of their ethnicity, location, religion or political affiliation.
The manifesto further proposes stronger decentralisation, improved funding for local councils, better community security, enhanced welfare for security personnel and greater youth participation in national decision-making.
On the diaspora, Gano highlighted that the coalition intends to establish mechanisms for diaspora representation and operationalise diaspora voting before the next presidential election.
He urged Gambians, including critics and undecided voters, to examine the manifesto and hold the coalition accountable for its commitments.
Investing in Human Development
Presenting the second pillar, human development, Harry Fofana, Deputy Secretary for Legal and Constitutional Affairs of the UNITE Party, noted that national development could not be achieved without investing in the country’s human capital.
She identified education, healthcare, youth employment, women’s empowerment, disability inclusion and safe migration as key priorities under the pillar.
On education, Fofana said the coalition intends to improve teacher training and remuneration, strengthen literacy and numeracy, review school curricula and expand access to quality education, particularly in underserved rural communities.
She also outlined plans to introduce student loan schemes to help Gambians pursue tertiary education and expand school feeding programmes to support children from vulnerable households.
The coalition further proposes expanding secondary schools and vocational training opportunities to equip young people with practical skills and improve their employment prospects.
Fofana argued that young people should be given a meaningful role in national decision-making rather than being mobilised mainly during election campaigns.
She also pledged support for youth-led businesses through improved access to finance, mentorship and markets.
On healthcare, she highlighted shortages of medical personnel, high treatment costs and long queues at health facilities as challenges requiring urgent attention.
She pledged that the coalition will improve access to affordable healthcare and explore broader health insurance coverage to reduce the financial burden on families if voted into office.
Addressing irregular migration, commonly referred to as the backway, Fofana said the coalition proposed bilateral agreements to create legal pathways for work, study and training abroad.
She added that the manifesto included plans to support returning migrants through employment opportunities and reintegration programmes, particularly in agriculture, construction and digital services.
The coalition also pledged to support women-led enterprises, strengthen child protection measures and improve disability rights, accessibility and inclusive education.
Fofana said the coalition would report regularly to the public on its activities and remain accountable for the promises made in the manifesto.
UNITE Spokesperson Kemo Bojang © Askanwi Media
Employment and Economic Reforms
Kemo Bojang, UNITE Party spokesperson, presented the third pillar on economic integration, which focused on reducing poverty, creating jobs, strengthening domestic production and improving access to essential services.
He explained that economic development should be measured by improvements in people’s lives rather than infrastructure projects and official economic growth figures alone.
Bojang argued that rising living costs, unemployment and the country’s dependence on imports had placed significant pressure on households.
To address these challenges, he argued that the coalition proposed establishing a national development bank within three years to provide long-term financing for farmers, manufacturers and young entrepreneurs.
The manifesto also outlines plans for a Diaspora Investment and Bond Programme to encourage Gambians abroad to invest in the national economy.
In agriculture, the coalition intends to promote irrigation, mechanisation, storage facilities and improved market access to increase domestic food production and strengthen food security.
Bojang also announced proposals to protect artisanal fishermen through designated coastal fishing zones and restrictions on new trawler and fishing licences.
On land management, he revealed that the coalition proposes digitising and registering every parcel of land in a secure national database within two years. The manifesto also proposes suspending new government land allocations until fair and transparent rules are established.
The coalition further pledged to facilitate the construction of 10,000 affordable houses to improve access to housing.
For workers and businesses, Bojang said the coalition intended to introduce a public procurement framework within one year to favour Gambian-owned enterprises where the required capacity exists.
He also outlined plans for a sector-based minimum wage review every two years, involving workers, employers and the government.
On electricity and water, Bojang said the coalition would conduct an independent assessment of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) within its first year in office, with the aim of informing reforms in the power sector.
He added that the coalition intended to expand renewable energy and work towards providing safe and reliable drinking water to Gambians within five years.
The economic pillar also includes proposals for a 30-year infrastructure master plan, improved transport connectivity and the restoration of the River Gambia as a national transport corridor.
Bojang said the coalition’s long-term ambition was to eliminate extreme poverty, expand the middle class and create an economy in which Gambians could find opportunities and build their futures at home.
Coalition Calls for Public Scrutiny
In his concluding remarks, Kanteh thanked the committees and individuals who contributed to developing the manifesto, describing the document as the outcome of months of work aimed at identifying national challenges and proposing solutions.
The coalition maintained that its proposals were designed to be implemented, measured and reported to the public.
The launch now places the coalition’s commitments before Gambian voters, who will have the opportunity to assess its proposed policies, their feasibility and the coalition’s capacity to deliver on them.
As the country approaches another electoral contest, the manifesto provides a basis for public scrutiny of Coalition 2026’s vision for governance, human development and economic transformation.
