A protest over prolonged electricity and water shortages in Banjul has intensified pressure on the authorities to address worsening disruptions to basic services, with Banjul North National Assembly Member Momodou Lamin B. Bah insisting that the demonstration was driven by residents’ living conditions rather than partisan politics.
Bah, a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), said residents had endured weeks of lengthy power cuts, with some outages lasting between eight and 12 hours. He said the latest interruption extended beyond 30 hours.
The electricity shortages have also affected water supply in parts of the capital, Bah said, with low water pressure leaving some households without running water for days.
“I was in Banjul with the residents; I stood with them, and yes, I will continue to stand with them anytime their rights and dignity have been trampled upon,” Bah said. “From the start, it’s not about politics. This was not about the party. What this was about was survival.”
The lawmaker said he had previously raised concerns about electricity and water shortages in the National Assembly and through his public platforms. However, he said efforts to have the issue debated in Parliament failed to materialise, leading him to join residents in the streets.
Bah said his position as an elected representative did not require him to remain on the sidelines while his constituents struggled to access basic services. He noted that he also lives in Banjul and experiences many of the same disruptions affecting residents.
The protesters, according to Bah, were demanding the immediate publication of a transparent load-shedding schedule and the deployment of emergency water tankers to neighbourhoods most affected by the shortages.
He also called on authorities to explain the causes of the persistent electricity outages, including whether they are linked to fuel shortages, ageing infrastructure, inadequate generation capacity or other problems affecting the national power system.
Bah further called for greater long-term investment in electricity and water infrastructure, including renewable energy, maintenance of the national grid and improvements to Banjul’s water supply system.
He said residents should not be expected to continue enduring prolonged disruptions to essential services, adding that the protest reflected growing frustration over what demonstrators regard as inadequate attention to the capital’s basic infrastructure.
