Mustapha Manneh © Foroyaa Newspaper
By Askanwi Media
Leaders of the Manjai community have appealed to President Adama Barrow to intervene in a long-running dispute over the ownership and control of the Father Gough Sports Complex, commonly known as Manjai Park, after government-led efforts through the Ministry of Lands and the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) failed to satisfy them in recent months.
The dispute is currently before the Bundung High Court, where the community is seeking, among other things, to be declared the rightful owners of the park. The most recent hearing took place just two days after the community appealed to the president.
Speaking during the President’s Meet the People Tour meeting at Manjai Kunda on Sunday, 18th October 2026, Mustapha Manneh, a youth leader, said the community had approached several authorities in an attempt to settle the dispute, including KMC and the Ministry of Lands, but their efforts had yielded no solution.
He explained that after KMC intervention failed due to the community’s dissatisfaction with the council’s resolution, they reported the matter to the Minister for Lands, Hon. Hamat Bah, and were subsequently referred to the Kanifing Municipality Executive Coordinator, Hon. Bakary ‘Kara’ Singhateh.
According to him, Hon. Singhateh’s intervention failed to broker “a lasting solution” because the community could not agree with him “on some of the issues”. This eventually led them to take the matter to court, a step that, he suggested, could have been avoided.
The dispute has been ongoing for more than a decade, with Askanwi publishing a series of stories, including an investigation examining how the dispute has evolved over the years.
Additionally, during a press conference held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre on 16th September 2026, our reporter questioned the Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Bakary Badjie, about the dispute and the steps his ministry was taking to broker a solution.
In response, Hon. Badjie attributed the issue to “land tenure management in the country”. He explained that it reflects a broader challenge facing the state, as many football grounds, schools and marketplaces originated as vacant spaces that communities began using without formal land titles.
Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Bakary Badjie © Askanwi
The minister’s explanation highlights the institutional and structural challenges confronting the country’s land administration system, as reflected in the Land Policy 2026–2035. According to the policy, “One of the key issues identified in land tenure in The Gambia is the difficulty in ascertaining title to customary and unregistered land.”
For the Manjai community, its historical connection to the land and its role in developing the facility provide a basis for its ownership claim under the country’s customary land tenure system. However, KMC maintains a different position, relying on the Local Government Act, which places such facilities under its responsibility.
The competing claims have made it difficult to reconcile the parties’ positions and broker a solution. According to the sports minister, the government initially “engaged in negotiations [with the community, but] it didn't work.”
He explained that the matter was “handled by the Minister of Lands [who] assigned the executive coordinator of the Kanifing Municipality (Hon. Bakary ‘Kara’ Singhateh) … but we couldn't find a solution; [leading] the community to go to the court.” Hon. Badjie told our reporter that the government was now awaiting the court’s decision.
Although President Barrow did not comment on the ownership dispute during the Meet the People Tour meeting, the Minister for Lands, Hon. Hamat Bah, addressed the issue.
He told the community that ‘although the discussions went on until an agreement was reached that a Memorandum of Association (MOU) was to be signed, [it] did not go through, but we will look into the matter again and discuss with [you to] address it.’
President Barrow, on the other hand, expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the football field and pledged to ‘take a step to mobilise funds for its renovation, even if the project is not included in his budget.’
With the community once again turning to the government for intervention, it remains unclear whether it will be willing to pursue an out-of-court settlement and consider a renewed government proposal, having previously declined to sign the draft MOU from the office of the Kanifing Municipality Executive Coordinator.
The Rejected MoU © Askanwi
