By Yankuba Jallow
Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) faced intensive questioning on Wednesday, 27 August 2025, before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry regarding council spending, procurement practices, and regulatory compliance. Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez conducted the questions on behalf of the commission of inquiry, focusing on the mayor’s oversight responsibilities, the role of employees, and the legitimacy of council payments for municipal projects.
The session opened with Mr. Bensouda addressing the general obligations of council employees to familiarise themselves with regulations.
The mayor detailed the obligations outlined in appointment letters, including paragraph G, which instructs employees to “conform to the financial regulations and staff conditions of services, and you are requested to acquaint yourself with them.”
Gomez said “Good. So what does that mean? As it says, you are required to conform to the financial regulations and staff conditions of service, and you are requested to acquaint yourself with them.” Bensouda agreed with Gomez that each employee is told in their employment letters that they should familiarise themselves with the financial manual because that is the right thing to do.
Gomez stressed that employers themselves must also be familiar with the regulation (financial manual) and follow it.
The inquiry then examined council vouchers. Bensouda repeatedly emphasized that technical expertise lies with committees, not with his office. “That’s why I have constituted a very competent contracts committee who should review this and advise. Who should advise? And when they advise, are you bound to follow their advice? That advice should come to the council. The council can deliberate and decide whether to take that advice or not,” Bensouda said.
“So the counsel is not bound by the advice of the committees?” Gomez asked.
“The counsel is not bound by any advice,” Bensouda replied.
“It means the counsel can review the advice that come to counsel?” Gomez asked.
“They can review and debate. It’s a democratic process,” Bensouda said.
He acknowledged lapses in payment procedures but maintained that administrative processes must determine legality. Bensouda admitted to the issue when discussing some of the vouchers saying they were administrative lapses.
Gomez asked whether youth councilor Kemo Bojang should repay the money.
“Yes, so this is another thing. I cannot make that determination without understanding the circumstances. If I told this goalpost were built, which I’m saying it has, then I don’t think Kemo Bojang should pay that money. Now, in terms of the lapse, it should go through the right administrative processes to determine whether it is an illegality or a violation,” Bensouda replied.
Bensouda highlighted his personal engagement in municipal projects, including visiting goalposts and scoring a goal at Buffer Zone, while reiterating that verification of documents is beyond his expertise.
“What I can tell you, I am a witness to seeing these goalposts in the municipality. In fact, I scored a goal at the buffer zone when the goalposts were being presented to the youths of the buffer zone. So I am aware there’s a goalpost project, but I cannot use words in the assertive without doing my own verifications. That would be irresponsible of me,” Bensouda said
This came following the question-and-answer session showing clearly that the youth councillor was paid the money in the name of executing a project without following due process. Bensouda requested time to verify.
The inquiry also focused on section 15 of the Local Government Act, which defines the mayor’s supervisory role. Mr. Bensouda affirmed, “I am here with my mandate as the head of the council and supervise the general administration of the area, including dealing with its taxes, rules, regulations. It’s impossible for me to know every detail and that is not my role.”
Gomez disagreed saying the la requires that council, the law itself, that council should know of every withdrawal of its account.
“Do you have a responsibility to know your accounts or not?” Gomez asked.
“To know the accounts that exist in council?” Bensouda asked.
“Do you have the responsibility to be familiar and acquaint yourself with the financial details of council?” Gomez asked.
“Yes, I should familiarize myself with the accounts,” Bensouda replied.
Throughout the session, Bensouda portrayed a vision of decentralized governance, relying on committees with specialized expertise to ensure compliance, while asserting his overarching responsibility for the general administration of KMC.
