BARROW COMMISSIONS D1.2 BILLION KIANG WEST ROADS, HITS BACK AT CRITICS

By Omar Bah

President Adama Barrow on Saturday officially opened the D1.2 billion Kiang West Roads Project, commissioning 87 kilometres of new trunk and community roads at a packed ceremony in Jafarong, Lower River Region. 

The project, delivered in two phases and fully financed by the Government of The Gambia, is framed as a direct strike against rural isolation and a rebuke to critics who said it would never be finished. 

“They said it was only a foundation stone and the project would not be completed,” President Adama Barrow said. “I lost the 2021 election in Kiang West, but that never stopped me from working for the people. Today, the roads are here.” 

He said the Kiang West Road and similar projects are paid for by Gambian taxpayers.

“For many years, people paid taxes without seeing development. Under my government, we are constructing roads and improving lives,” he added. 

Barrow tied the Kiang West project to a broader, domestically funded infrastructure drive. 

“In 2021, my government made a firm commitment to bring development closer to the people. Inclusive development without discrimination or exclusion remains our guiding principle, with the conviction that development must never be determined by location or political affiliation,” he said. 

“We are here today to celebrate progress in a region that for many years remained constrained by limited infrastructural development and restricted access to opportunity. My government is mindful that inadequate infrastructure contributes to rural-urban migration.” 

He said the new road network will connect Kiang to the rest of the country.

“This is what development means. It is about initiating real change in people’s lives and it should be measured ultimately not by the structures we build but by the lives we improve.” 

Since 2017, Barrow said, the government has relied on domestic resource mobilisation to finance major road projects — “This is unprecedented.” 

“Through domestic revenue, we have invested over D18.5 billion and delivered more than 1,200 kilometres of feeder roads,” he said. “By the end of 2026, the government will have added 375 kilometres of paved roads to the national road network.” 

“This huge expansion is the result of strategic policy choices anchored in domestic resource mobilisation and innovative financing mechanisms. Our strategy is to expand infrastructure at scale, reduce dependency on external financing, and retain investment benefits within the Gambian economy.” 

The Kiang West Roads Project is expected to improve mobility, enhance safety, and stimulate economic and social growth across the Lower River Region.

“Farmers will cut transport time to markets. Patients will reach clinics faster. Students and teachers will face fewer disruptions during the rainy season, when many Kiang roads were previously impassable.”

“My government is committed to bring development to every Gambian irrespective of region or political affiliation.”

National Roads Authority Managing Director Sulayman Sumareh Janneh said the roads are “more than physical infrastructure.” 

“They transform lives by bringing farmers closer to markets, improving access to healthcare and education, and opening up opportunities for isolated communities,” Janneh said.

“This project sends a strong message that every region and community matters in the country’s development agenda, and that no citizen is left behind.” 

Phase one covered the 39-kilometre Sankandi–Karantaba trunk road, a vital transport artery in Kiang West while phase Two added 48 kilometres of community roads. Originally planned for four roads, the scope was expanded to ten sections, now serving more than 20 villages. 

The ceremony in Jafarong drew ministers, local chiefs, and residents who have waited decades for reliable year-round access.

The roads were constructed by Gai Construction, with Cityscape Associates as consultants.