Many Gambians think that the appointment of an alkalo is a constitutional right. This is actually not the case. Section 59 of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia states:
“The Minister responsible for local government shall appoint an Alkalo in consultation with the Regional Governors and District Seyfo or Chairperson of the Kanifing Municipal Council, as the case may be.
(2) The Minister shall, in making an appointment under subsection (1), take into account traditional lines of inheritance.”
In short, no law makes provision for the election of an alkalo and whenever an election takes place it is just window dressing, arbitrary and without rules to guide the process.
